The Promise
by FutureKing24
Summary: Bowser and Junior have been arguing a lot recently. But when Bowser's latest plan to kidnap Princess Peach takes a disastrous turn for the worst, the father and son will have to work together and rebuild their trust in one another if they're ever going to survive the journey home. Credit for cover image goes to the user "ask-bowser-and-jr" on Tumblr.
1. Bittersweet Dreams

_"I was so sure I was gonna win that time…," said Bowser as he gazed off into the distant sunset._

 _"Well, this 'Mario' does sound like someone pretty special if he was able to stop you from taking over the galaxy," she commented. Bowser sighed and took a heavy gulp of his wine._

 _"I bet if we played another round of tennis…but with the title of 'ruler of the mushroom kingdom' on the line, I'd crush him for sure." she chuckled at that._

 _"I'm sure you would!" The two shared a moment of silence before she changed the subject. "So tell me again. Who is this Princess Peach and what exactly is your relationship with her?" Bowser nearly coughed up his drink. That wasn't going to be easy to explain._

 _"Well, she…," Bowser began but was interrupted by the distant sound of a thump. "Did you hear that?" he asked._

 _"Hear what?" She replied._

 _"I thought I heard something just now…" Another thumping sound followed, although this one was slightly louder. "There it is again."_

 _"I think you've had a bit too much to drink," she joked._

 _"I'm serious!" Bowser argued._

 _"I'm sure it's nothing," she replied calmly. The thumping sound repeated a third time. This time it was loud enough that Bowser knew what it was. He didn't say a word. He simply looked at her. She smirked playfully. "But if you're really so bothered by it, then why don't you wake up and go investigate?"_

Bowser immediately jolted awake and sat up in his bed. He was back in the bedroom of his castle, which was eclipsed by the shadows of the night. _It was just another dream_ … Bowser thought to himself. He nearly flew out of bed when he heard yet another thump. This time he knew for certain what it was, and he wasn't happy about it in the slightest.

Meanwhile upstairs, Bowser Jr. was hopping around his room excitedly. He was completely enthralled in his copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch his father had bought him a few days ago. This was the final lap. His identical on-screen counterpart dodged and weaved around banana peels and Koopa shells which chaotically populated the racetrack. Just one more victory and Junior would have completed all of the Grand Prix cups. Victory was so close the little Koopa could taste it!

Immediately, Bowser burst through the door. The sound startled Junior enough that his controller flew out of his hands and tumbled to the floor. Miraculously, it landed on the pause button; halting the game so that Bowser would have his son's undivided attention.

"Hey, brat! What're you doing in here!?" Bowser roared.

"Uhhh….nothin'…?" Junior lied.

"Oh really? Then I guess I must've just _imagined_ the sound of you jumping up and down in here from downstairs, huh?"

"Yeah…m-maybe!" Bowser glared at the clock on the wall behind him.

"Junior, it's two hours past your bedtime!" Bowser complained, anger consistently flowing through his tone. "You get to bed this instant!"

"But Daaaad! I'm not tired!" Junior whined.

"You're _gonna_ be tired when I drag your sorry butt outta bed first thing in the morning for the invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom tomorrow!"

"Do we _have_ to do it tomorrow…?"

"Yes! I've been planning this scheme for two weeks now and I'm not gonna delay it just because you're too tired to wake up on time," Bowser declared. He sniffed the air. "And did you take a bath tonight like I asked you to do after dinner?"

"I…sorta forgot…," Junior confessed. Bowser rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised by this in the slightest.

"Well, you're taking one before we leave tomorrow. Now get your little tail in bed right now!" Bowser ordered. "If I hear any more noise in here tonight, you're grounded!" Without waiting for Junior's acknowledgement, he slammed the bedroom door shut and stormed off. Defeated, Junior powered down his game console, turned off the light and climbed into bed. He was more tired than he thought, and Junior drifted off to sleep with bitter resentment towards his father. _Stupid Dad_. _He never lets me have any fun_ …

Bowser slipped under the covers of his own bed and wasted no time falling back asleep. _Before he knew it, he was back on the balcony with the woman he loved. Bowser sighed heavily and took another swig of his whine without uttering a word to her. She waited for Bowser to speak. When he didn't, she did so herself._

 _"Don't you think that was a little harsh?"_

 _"What, that? It's what I call putting my foot down and being a parent," Bowser defended._

 _"Sure but…Bowser, he's only seven," she reasoned._

 _"Kids'll never do what you say if you don't remind them whose boss every now and then." Bowser was completely unfazed by her words. She placed her hands tenderly on the sides of the white rim of Bowser's shell._

 _"I know you're scared. But raising your son shouldn't always feel like a chore. You're supposed to love it too," she explained. Somehow Bowser believed she was right deep down. But he just couldn't bring himself to admit his agreement. He swallowed the sentiment._

 _"I would 'love' it if he would just listen to me when I ask him to do anything," Bowser replied._

 _"Do you give him enough reason to?" Bowser froze and looked at her. He didn't know how to answer that. "Junior has always had a little bit of a rebellious streak in him. It's just part of growing up. If I recall correctly, you were like that too when you were his age." Bowser sipped his wine and looked away._

 _"That was a long time ago…"_

 _"Time has nothing to do with it, Bowser," she countered. "All I'm saying is that instead of holding Junior down and treating him like a problem…maybe you could show him you understand and care about how he feels?" Bowser snorted at that proposal._

 _"It's easy for you to say all of this," he blurted out._

 _"Why's that?"_

 _"He's not_ _ **your**_ _responsibility anymore." Bowser turned to her and gave her an icy glare. "You left me all alone to figure this out by myself."_

Bowser woke up bright and early the following morning to begin putting his plans into action. He marched up the stairs to Junior's room, entered, and firmly shook his sleeping son as his hand nearly covered the little Koopa's entire spiked shell.

"Junior…," Bowser whispered. "Junior. Wake up," he commanded in a slightly louder tone. Junior shifted in his bed slightly, but didn't open his eyes or even acknowledge his father's presence. "You know what today is. Up and at 'em," Bowser continued. Junior groaned. "Get up and take a bath. I want you downstairs for breakfast in thirty minutes, got it?" Junior opened his eyes slightly and nodded. Bowser exited the bedroom. He knew his dad was right about him regretting being up so late the night before. Junior was exhausted. But he also knew he would get an earful of yelling if he went back to sleep. So the little Koopa wrestled with his blankets and climbed out of bed.

Junior stopped en route to the bathroom when his foot kicked something on the floor. It was his Switch controller. Right where he dropped it last night. Instantly, Junior was reminded of the progress he lost by turning off the system. All that work for nothing. Suddenly, an idea lit up his mind. He looked at the clock on his wall. _Thirty minutes is plenty of time_ , Junior thought.

Meanwhile in the dining hall, Bowser downed his third cup of coffee while waiting for the pancakes his Koopa chef was preparing in the kitchen behind him. He was reviewing plans for the troop formations in the invasion when his elderly assistant–Kammy Koopa–approached him.

"Good morning, your nastiness," she greeted pleasantly. Bowser grumbled but didn't say anything that sounded like actual words. Kammy frowned. "Are you alright, sire?" Bowser rubbed his hand across his face.

"Just a little tired," Bowser answered. "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"I see…well, are you sure you want to go through with the plan today? Perhaps we should postpone it." Bowser glared at the small Koopa witch.

"Why does everyone keep suggesting that?" he complained aloud. "No, we're not cancelling. We're doing this _today_ , got it?"

"Of course, your malevolence," Kammy obliged. "But you seem upset this morning…more so than usual. Is there something troubling you?" Bowser remained quiet as he shuffled through the documents scattered on the table around him. His meaty fingers stopped when they reached a letter that made him wince.

It was a note from the principal of Junior's school. He was reporting to the Koopa King that Junior was misbehaving in school; not listening to instructors, failing to complete assignments, and pulling pranks on the other students. Normally, Bowser of all people would approve of such activities; being the tyrannical Koopa dictator that he was. But even Bowser knew there was a time and place for acting out. Junior was the future heir to the throne. If he was going to be an effective strategist and a leader worth following someday, being educated to a certain extent was important. The fact that his son wasn't investing in his future at all didn't sit right with Bowser. But this letter only reminded him of all the other ways Junior was acting out recently.

"It's this kid of mine," Bowser answered Kammy at last. "I don't know what to do with him. He's causing trouble at school; more than he should be. He's staying up past his bedtime, not doing his chores like feeding the chain chomp or cleaning the castle's cannons. Last night I couldn't even get him to take a bath," Bowser explained. He cupped his claws around his eyes and hunched forward, releasing a heavy, stressful sigh. "What am I doing wrong?" Kammy placed a hand on Bowser's arm.

"There, there. Don't be so hard on yourself, sire," said Kammy. "It might not be anything _you're_ doing that's wrong. Perhaps the young prince simply needs to develop responsibility on his own." Bowser wasn't convinced.

"The more I seem to yell and threaten him with punishment, the more troublesome he gets. I can't snap him into shaping up. I just don't get it." Kammy understood her superior's frustration, but didn't know how to comfort him. Truth be told, she wasn't used to seeing Bowser like this. He always acted so loud, proud and in control; never letting anything bring him down. Seeing the Koopa king out of his element like this was unsettling, to say the least. But Kammy had a feeling she knew the real reason why Bowser felt this way, and it wasn't because of Junior.

"You've been dreaming of _her_ again, haven't you?" she gathered. Bowser's eyes widened as he sharply turned to the witch.

"What? No! Of course not. Don't be ridiculous," Bowser denied. This response only confirmed Kammy's suspicions. She didn't have to argue. She could tell just by looking into Bowser's eyes that he was lying and he knew he wasn't being very convincing. Bowser sighed and admitted an early defeat. "I don't know how she did it. She and the brat just always seemed to hit it off together in a way that I can't," said Bowser.

Kammy knew it. Bowser had been dreaming about his late wife again. Kammy had only ever heard stories about how close Bowser was with his wife, but the Koopa witch could tell that losing her to a fatal sickness had been devastating to Bowser. He was surely terrified that he was alone in raising Junior and heartbroken at losing the love of his life. There was also no telling what kind of effect having no mother was having on Junior. "Raising a kid is supposed to be a two-man job," Bowser rambled on. "How in the world she expected me to do this on my own, I'll never know…"

"Sire…perhaps you need to see a psychologist about this. It isn't healthy to dream about her as much as you do…"

"No way!" Bowser yelled for the first time all morning. "I'm not gonna sit there and listen to some crackpot try to tell me what's wrong with my head. It's _my_ head. I know it better than anyone ever will!"

"But Bowser, your wife is gone. She has been for several years now and you're clearly still grieving. You need closure somehow."

"Maybe, but I'm doing it on my terms. No one else's. You know that." Bowser's plate of pancakes arrived before Kammy could say anything more. Bowser gathered all of the papers on the table and moved them aside to make room for his breakfast. But before he could eat, a thought had occurred to him that greatly upset him. It had been well over thirty minutes since he'd sat down at the table. Yet there was no sign of Junior. Bowser aggressively shoved back his chair and stomped out of the dining hall before Kammy could ask where he was going. But judging by the look on his face that she'd managed to catch a glimpse of, she knew this wouldn't end well.


	2. The Boiling Point

After a handful of close calls, Junior finished the final race and completed the grand prix. He beamed at his accomplishment as the virtual first place trophy hovered on his TV screen. Shutting off the system, Junior turned to exit his room. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned pale when he saw Bowser standing in the doorway; arms crossed, his massive foot repeatedly tapping the floor, and a glare that kept Junior frozen in place. He could feel himself starting to sweat.

"Dad! I…," Junior started.

"Unbelievable…," Bowser replied as he stalked right past him. "I can't trust you to do anything!"

"I-I just thought…," Junior stammered. "I thought I could finish my game real quick."

"I didn't _tell_ you to play a game, did I!?" Bowser exclaimed. Junior could feel his lip quiver with guilt.

"N-no…But…,"

"I told you to take a bath and get ready, and you couldn't even do that!" Junior was trembling. He was terrified to know where this was going. By the time he pieced it together, it was too late. Bowser stopped in front of Junior's Switch.

"Dad!" Junior called out to him. Bowser gritted his teeth and could feel his blood boiling.

"WHY DO YOU LISTEN TO THIS STUPID THING MORE THAN ME!?" Bowser roared. He grabbed the console firmly in his claws and threw it at the bedroom wall with all of his rage. The device crashed and shattered into pieces as it scattered across the floor. Junior's eyes began to water. But before he could start crying, he felt Bowser pluck him up by his shell and carry him out of the room. Bowser plopped him in the bathroom and violently turned the bathtub faucet. Water began to pour and fill the tub. He violently yanked Junior's bandanna off from around his son's neck, picked Junior up once more, and dropped him into the tub.

"STOP CRYING!" Bowser roared. He scooped up Junior's chin in his fingers and tilted his head upward until their eyes met. "You've got ten minutes to get yourself cleaned up and march downstairs to the table! If you're not there when time's up, I'm feeding your breakfast to the chain chomp instead and you'll go without eating! Do you understand me!?" Junior sniffed and nodded slightly. Bowser stomped out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Junior wiped away the tears with his arm. No matter how heartbroken he was at that moment, Junior knew deep down that crying wouldn't help. His father was never one to comfort Junior when he cried thanks to his stupid tough love mantra. Junior had always turned to his mom when he needed to cry when he was little. But she wasn't here anymore. She hadn't been for a long time. Junior had to be tough. He knew exactly what he was going to do now. If Bowser thought he couldn't be trusted to do anything, Junior would just have to prove him wrong. He'd make his dad feel so guilty that he'd regret breaking his Switch like that.

Bowser violently dropped down into his chair in the dining hall and stabbed his pancakes with his fork without saying a word to anyone. Kammy gulped and approached him. One sharp glare from Bowser stopped the witch in her tracks.

"What?" asked Bowser.

"We heard quite a commotion up there…," Kammy began. "Is everything alright?"

"You _know_ why I'm not gonna answer that."

"Lord Bowser, please. Be reasonable. You don't think there's the slightest possibility that you're being too hard on Prince Junior?" Bowser froze as the same sentiment of his wife from the dream flashed through his mind. He slammed his fork down on the plate.

"I KNOW HOW TO RAISE MY KID, DAMMIT!" Bowser roared furiously. "Will everyone just get off my case already!?" Desperate to change the subject, Bowser shooed away his on-looking henchmen, ordered Kammy to stay put, and summoned the Koopalings into the dining hall so they could receive their assignments and Bowser's plan could get underway. The faster the better as far as Bowser was concerned.

Junior quietly meandered into the room at roughly the same time. He sat alone at the far end of the table and aside from a minor glance from his father, went otherwise unnoticed. He halfheartedly listened to Bowser detailing the grand strategy as he ate his breakfast. Not that he really needed to pay attention. This plan was no different than the dozens before it.

Princess Peach was to be kidnapped, and each of the Koopalings would impede Mario's attempts at rescuing her with a series of individual castles across the Mushroom Kingdom. Junior began to wonder why his father hadn't noticed by now that this plan never worked. Mario always beat each of them with ease. Repeating the same tired process wasn't changing anything. Junior figured that if anything, it probably made Mario's job easier because he would know what to expect after a while. Junior was only paying partial attention when Bowser finally addressed him. He had a feeling he knew what his position was going to be; piloting his Junior Clown Car, tricked out with weapons and traps, and try to stop Mario before he gets to Bowser. But to Junior's surprise…Bowser had something else in mind.

"Junior, I want you to stay here," said Bowser. Junior's jaw dropped.

"What!? Why?" Junior asked.

"Because I want you to run the castle maintenance," Bowser explained. "Water the piranha plants, polish and reload the Bill Blaster cannons, fill the lava pools, and oil the skewers. Everything has to be in top shape before Mario comes through here." Junior couldn't believe he was being relegated to busywork.

"B-but I always come with you to beat Mario!" Junior argued.

"Not this time you're not," Bowser denied. "I need you here to get this place ready for attack." Junior slammed his tiny hands on the table.

"Why'd you even wake me up this morning if I don't get to come!?" Bowser challenged his son's aggression by placing his own palms to the table as well; creating a much larger tremoring.

"Because you needed to hear your assignment just like everyone else! You would've never thought to do this stuff after waking up on your own if I didn't tell you to!" Kammy and the Koopalings all stood awkwardly together as Bowser and Junior began to argue.

"Why don't you just tell me the real reason…," Junior muttered quietly.

"What?"

"You don't trust me anymore! You don't think I can do anything right!" Junior accused. Bowser paused, then decided that trying to lie was no use.

"Well can you blame me!? After all the stunts you've been pulling lately, how can I trust my lousy son with anything more important!?" Tears formed in the corners of Junior's eyes.

"You _never_ trusted me! You don't even love me! Mom was the only one who ever did!" Junior exclaimed. Without waiting for his father to rebuttal, Junior jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room as quickly as he could. Bowser fell silent. He didn't have any response to that. He looked around at the other inhabitants of the room.

"What're you all standing around for!?" Bowser exclaimed. "You have your orders, so move it!" The Koopalings sporadically sprinted out of the room in terror.

"What about…?" Kammy began.

"Leave him," Bowser finished for her. "He has his assignment. He can pout as long as he wants to as long as he gets the job done before Mario shows up." Bowser coldly strolled out of the room with Kammy following a few feet behind him.

Larry Koopa finished his own preparations, but decided to check up on Junior before leaving. Out of all the Koopalings, he was the closest to Junior thanks to the two of them being relatively closer in age.

"Hey Junior….you okay?" Larry asked as he knocked on the bedroom door. No answer. There wasn't even the sound of Junior crying inside. Larry opened the door to find that there was no one inside. _Weird_ … _I thought for sure he'd be here_ …. Larry thought to himself. He had another idea now of where Junior might be.

Descending a winding staircase, Larry reached the garage deep in the heart of the castle basement. Sure enough, Junior was there. He seemed busy working on his clown car mechanically.

"Whatcha doin' down here, small fry?" Larry called out to him. Startled, Junior bumped his head on the rim of the clown car from inside. He pulled himself out and stared at Larry; nursing his head.

"I could ask _you_ that too," Junior rebutted. "Don't you have a castle to guard?"

"Well, yeah," Larry admitted. "I was just getting ready to leave. But I wanted to see how you were holding up," he explained. Junior immediately turned his back to Larry and resumed whatever he had been previously doing. "That was pretty rough back there. Everything okay?"

"Who cares," Junior denied. "I know _he_ doesn't."

"But don't _you_ care?"

"Tch, no. Why should I?"

"Well, I'd be pretty steamed too if someone called _me_ a lousy son," Larry explained.

"It doesn't matter, cuz he's wrong," Junior argued. "And I'm gonna prove it."

"How?"

"By doing what he can't. I'm gonna beat Mario all on my own. Then Dad'll be sorry he ever doubted me." Larry scratched his head.

"If you wanna get back on King Bowser's good side again, wouldn't it be easier to just do the chores like he asked?" Larry proposed.

"No way!" Junior exclaimed. "Then he'll think that's all I'm good for. No, I have to blow him away somehow. And the upgrade I'm making to my clown car will let me do just that."

"Whatever you say…," Larry replied as he shrugged and turned to walk away. He and Junior might've been friendly with one another, but they weren't blood brothers. It wasn't Larry's job to baby Junior like an overprotective sibling. Truth be told, Larry wasn't confident that Junior's plan was going to work, whatever it was. But if it didn't, well, Larry figured that Junior would just have to figure that out on his own.

About ten minutes after Larry's exit, Junior's modifications to the Junior Clown Car were complete. Now he just needed to put it to the test. Smirking confidently, Junior hopped inside and powered the vehicle on. The garage door leading to the outside world opened at the press of a button, and Junior prepared for take-off. There was just one stop he'd have to make first before he could put his plan into action.


	3. The Incident

The final preparations for the invasion plan were complete. Bowser settled into the seat of his clown car and ran one final systems check to ensure everything was running properly before take-off. He tried everything he could to keep his mind focused. He gave careful consideration as to which angle to fly in and approach Peach's castle from. He reviewed the ground troop formations one final time. He tried to predict what power-ups Mario would bring when he would eventually show up to rescue Peach. But nothing held his attention for long.

Bowser was just too distracted. He knew it for certain when he spotted a crayon drawing of him and his son taped to his dashboard; the one Junior made for him years ago. Bowser placed the tip of his claw to the paper and stroked it gingerly. Guilt washed over him.

Was everyone right? Was he really being too hard on Junior? He didn't want to be. He was just doing what he felt was right in order to take care of his son. But…maybe he was wrong. Clearly nothing he did right now was working since Junior wasn't listening to him. Bowser began to wonder if he was having these dreams about his wife for a reason. Not because her spirit was trying to tell him something necessarily. But maybe…this was his _heart_ speaking to him and trying to tell him something. Whatever was going on, Bowser was sure of one thing. He couldn't let it go on like this. He hated watching Junior run out of the dining hall in tears like that. Bowser cringed when he recalled all of the horrible things he said to him.

 _I can't trust you to do anything!_

 _I told you to take a bath and get ready, and you couldn't even do that!_

 _WHY DO YOU LISTEN TO THIS STUPID THING MORE THAN ME!?_

 _STOP CRYING!_

 _If you're not there when time's up, I'm feeding your breakfast to the chain chomp instead and you'll go without eating!_

 _You would've never thought to do this stuff after waking up on your own if I didn't tell you to!_

 _…_ _how can I trust my_ _ **lousy son**_ _with anything more important!?_

Bowser shut his eyes and ran his hand across his face as he sighed. Why did he have to say all of that? Why did he have to yell at his kid so much? His wife would've never approved of him being so vicious to their child. As far as Bowser was concerned, it was fine for him to be nasty to just about everyone else. But not his own son. Not to this degree. This was crossing the line. _I should apologize to him_ … Bowser thought. _We need to work this out somehow_ … Bowser typed in a command on the control panel of his aircraft; setting it into autopilot mode. Then he laid back in his seat, turned away from the crayon drawing, and shut his eyes to get some sleep before he would arrive at Peach's castle.

"You'll never get away with this, Bowser!" Princess Peach shouted from Bowser's side. "Mario will rescue me just like he always does!" Bowser turned to her and smirked.

"Come on, my sweet," he replied. "Aren't you getting tired of playing this little game? Why can't you just marry me and stop trying to defy destiny?" Bowser delicately brushed her cheek with his claw.

"You are _not_ my destiny!" she objected. Bowser laughed. He'd heard this harsh rejection from her so many times that it didn't faze him one bit anymore. It had lost its effect long ago. Peach would give in and marry him eventually. Bowser was sure of this. It was just a matter of time. His train of arrogant thought was halted abruptly when Bowser heard what Peach shouted next.

"Mario!" she cheered. Bowser sharply turned his head around. Sure enough, there he was. Mario, standing at the far end of the platform; determination burning in his eyes. Mario had come to the rescue just as he always did. He sprinted directly towards the two of them.

"You want her? Come and get her!" Bowser challenged. He leaped down to the lower level. Taking a deep breath, Bowser shot off a series of fire balls from his mouth towards his adversary. Mario jumped, dodged and weaved around each projectile with ease. He stopped just short of Bowser. The two glared at one another; anticipating the other's next move.

Bowser threw the first punch against his most hated adversary. Mario stepped out of the way just in time to avoid it. In retaliation, he launched an uppercut square into Bowser's chin, sending the Koopa King hurdling into the air. Mario jumped up in pursuit and threw his fist straight across Bowser's face, which sent him rocketing back down to the earth below. This was an attack Bowser was all too familiar with as he had been on the receiving end of it countless times in the Smash Bros tournaments. The latter crashed and tumbled along the ground. Mario landed and prepared to sprint past him in pursuit of the princess in the distance. But Bowser wasn't finished yet. In the blink of an eye, Bowser swiped his tail across the ground and tripped Mario. Bowser grabbed the plumber from behind and shoved him into the ground as payback.

Bowser then raised both of his fists high into the air above Mario and prepared to pound the plumber into the ground with all the strength he could muster. Mario quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a Cape Feather. He crushed it in his hand and in a flash, Mario dawned his signature yellow cape. Thrusting it forward across his body, Mario turned Bowser around a full 180 degrees just as the Koopa King's fists were about to strike down.

Bowser couldn't react in time. His attack was already underway. He crushed the ground in the complete opposite direction. By the time Bowser leaned back up, he felt Mario's hands firmly grab his tail. Attempting to break free was pointless as Mario had already begun swinging the Koopa King around and around in the air with absurd strength and velocity. Bowser was about to get motion sickness just as Mario released him and hurled the latter far across the arena; landing with a thud and sliding a few inches. His skin was scraped and bruised by the unforgiving concrete surface and gravel debris littered across it. Mario leaped high into the air and started gliding his way towards Princess Peach at the other side of the platform. Bowser gritted his teeth in anger. Not again. He could _not_ lose again!

Bowser sprinted and gave chase towards the airborne plumber. He shot as many fireballs as he could in a desperate attempt to ground Mario. But Bowser's fire breath wasn't nearly as deadly when he was running since his lungs also needed to devote air to breathing as he ran. The fire balls were much slower and didn't reach as high.

Frustrated, Bowser leaped high into the air himself and came crashing down on the arena below. His tremendous force tipped the platform vertically at the precise angle and velocity to catch Mario before the plumber could react in time. When the platform fell back to its normal position, it had taken Mario back down with him. Now Bowser just needed to act on this moment before Mario could get up and move again. But just before Bowser could reach Mario to finish him, a voice startled him.

"Not so fast!" it cried from afar. Both Mario and Bowser both turned to see Junior descend down from above in his Junior Clown Car. Bowser clenched his fists in anger. He couldn't believe his son had disobeyed him once again by coming here.

"What're you doing here, brat!?" Bowser roared.

"What you _can't_ do!" Junior retaliated. "I'm beating Mario once and for all!" Junior reached down into his vehicle and pulled out a power star. Stealing one of these babies from Star Haven had been a cinch since Mario was so busy rescuing the princess that he wasn't there to stop him. Bowser's eyes widened in horror when he pieced together what his son was planning on doing.

"Wait!" Bowser called out. Junior ignored his father's objection. He shoved the power star into a special compartment on his control panel and pressed a button. Instantly, the clown car began to glow as a cannon protruded out from the vehicle's mouth. Junior could feel the clown car tremor as it built up immense power; aimed directly at Mario.

"Eat **_this_**!" Junior exclaimed. Once the cannon was charged to maximum power, it launched a star-powered cannon ball with more speed than Bowser had ever witnessed before. He never knew a power star could supercharge his own weapons in such a way. But this was no time to be impressed. Did his son really know how to harness such power? Did he know exactly what he was dealing with here?

This was it. Junior was sure of it. The cannon ball would hit Mario with so much power that it would take him out in one blast. There was no way he could get out of the way in time. This had to be the moment. His family's greatest rival would finally be beaten once and for all. More importantly though, Bowser would apologize and give Junior the respect he knew he deserved. His eyes followed carefully as the cannon ball reached Mario at the other end of the arena. But, Mario didn't even try to jump out of the way. Instead he stood his ground as his imminent doom approached.

Mario thrust his cape over his shoulder once again at the last second. It reflected the cannon ball back in the opposite direction with twice the speed. The projectile flew at such a blinding velocity that no one could've stopped what happened next.

" _NOOOOOOO_!" Bowser roared. Junior's eyes lit up with terror as the cannon ball hit his clown car in the blink of an eye. The vehicle exploded with an echoing boom that rang across the sky. Bowser was horrified when he thought he had just watched his son become engulfed in the flames of the blast. The Koopa King was about to drop to his knees in shock, but then he realized he was wrong.

He caught a brief glimpse of Junior being sent flying backwards from the impact. He was out of the flames, but not harm's way. Junior crashed to the ground, tumbled and rolled a few times, and slid all the way to the edge of the platform. He hadn't been killed instantly, but his landing just now surely had left him with fatal injuries.

The clown car's explosion created a chain reaction on the arena. The ground below Mario and Bowser's feet began to tremor and break apart. With a running start and three consecutive jumps, Mario took off into the air once again and flew towards Peach. The quaking caused Junior to bounce off the edge of the platform, but the little Koopa grabbed onto the ledge in time with one hand. He was now dangling for dear life over the ocean of lava below.

Bowser could hardly think over the violent vibrations. Mario was about to reach the flagpole that Peach was tied to on the platform above them. He was about to save her once again. Bowser had to act now or his plan would fail. He was about to give chase once more, but was stopped by a small, hoarse cry for help.

"Dad!" Junior cried out in agony. He kicked his small feet in panic as he dangled from the platforms end. Try as he might, Junior couldn't pull himself up. His other arm had gone limp, and the one keeping him from falling was quickly losing strength. "Dad, help!" Junior cried out once again. If he wasn't pulled up from the ledge quickly, Junior was terrified he would let go and plunge to his death. Bowser's eyes widened in fear as he stood completely still. Time slowed down. His gaze shifted back and forth between Mario and Junior several times.

He had to make a choice. It was now or never. Bowser clenched his fists in frustration.

 _Dammit_! Bowser cursed under his breath. Mustering all of his remaining strength and adrenaline, Bowser sprinted forward. He made his choice and was prepared to live with the sacrifice.

Junior felt his arm give out and his heart practically stopped. The little Koopa faded out of consciousness as he fell to the lava below. Kammy Koopa flew in on her broomstick just in time to watch the aftermath of the battle.

"Bowser!" the witch called out. Bowser ignored his name as he continued to run at full speed. Kammy watched as Bowser jumped headfirst off the platform into the lava below in pursuit of his son. The Koopa King angled himself in his dive in such a way to pick up speed so he could reach Junior in time. Extending his arms forward, Bowser grabbed the unconscious little Koopa and tightly hugged him to his chest. Bowser curled his legs, neck and tail close together in a fetal position as gravity began to rotate under him. Bowser shut his eyes and let the forces engulf him. He rolled faster and faster until his special ability had been triggered. Bowser transformed into a green spike ball just before he reached the lava's surface and plunged deep into the fiery liquid.

Kammy had cast a magic spell to try and catch her superior in time, but she was nowhere near fast enough. Had she just witnessed the demise of the Great and Terrible Bowser? Dumbfounded, she watched Mario fly off into the distance with Peach in his arms as Bowser and Junior met a fiery grave.


	4. Between a Rock and a Hot Place

The pressure was too much. The heat too intense. The supply of air was running low. Thankfully, time was merciful.

The spike ball emerged from the depths of the lava and floated atop the surface as the stream carried it down a river of fire. It opened up as Bowser uncoiled himself from his tight position; gasping for air. He was alive. He almost couldn't believe it. More importantly though, his son had survived as well. Junior was unconscious, but Bowser could feel him breathing as he rested on his belly.

Feeling stiff, Bowser stretched out his arms, legs, and tail to unwind but winced when the lava immediately nipped at his limbs. Reality smacked Bowser across the face. He and Junior were still very much alive, but just barely. The backside of Bowser's shell was completely submerged in the lava below and was now acting as a flotation device to keep the Koopa's flesh from being burned to a crisp. Bowser struggled a bit as he flailed his arms and legs, but he abandoned his efforts almost immediately. He was stuck in this uncomfortable floating position. Drifting in the middle of the lava river, there was no solid ground he could reach to get his bearings or stop moving altogether. He was completely at the lava's mercy. Bowser couldn't even change his course with nothing nearby to grab onto.

To make matters worse, Bowser could slowly feel a burning sensation in his lower back. Lava must've been slowly leaking into his shell and reaching his back. The pain was bearable for now. But Bowser couldn't stay like this forever. He had to get back to dry land soon or else his shell would fill with the hot liquid, which would cause him to sink. Bowser could feel himself sweating profusely, but he didn't know if it was from the intense heat all around, or from the stress as he realized that time was now counting down to his destruction.

Junior squirmed a little and released a pained groan as he woke up. He sat up on Bowser's chest and rubbed his eye.

"Junior?" Bowser spoke. "Junior! You okay, kiddo?"

"Mmmmm…Dad…?" Junior replied sleepily. His eyes blinked rapidly. "What…happened? Where are we?" Junior attempted to stand up and immediately stumbled backward as his legs weren't prepared for the sudden balancing act. "Wha- woooaaah!" the little Koopa cried out. Bowser caught him just before he fell into the lava.

"Careful!" Bowser warned. Junior's eyes immediately widened with terror as reality sank in. He could feel himself hyperventilating.

"W-WHAT'S GOIN' ON!? WHERE ARE WE!?"

"Easy, easy!" Bowser responded as he held Junior in-between his hands. He stroked his son's orange top-knot to calm him down. Junior was going to be of no use to Bowser in this situation if he was having a nervous breakdown.

"Are we dead!? Are we _gonna_ die!?"

"No, we're alright," Bowser reasoned calmly. His words weren't working. Junior was practically shivering as he breathed a mile a minute and jerked his head this way and that as if he had just gone blind. Frustrated, Bowser grasped Junior's chin with his thumb and index claw, and forced his son to make eye contact. "Junior, _focus_! I need you to get a grip _right_ now or so help me you're grounded for a month when we get home, got it!?" Junior nodded as his hysteria faded.

"O-okay…," Junior stammered. Bowser sighed in relief as his words finally got through. So his dictator dad parenting style did have some use after all.

"Good. Now listen. We're not in trouble yet, but we will be if we don't get off this river soon," Bowser reasoned. "I can't hold this crazy yoga pose forever, but I also can't move without burning myself. So it's gonna be up to you to do most of the work. I need you to listen and do exactly as I say," he explained. "Can you do that?"

"Y-yeah…," Junior replied as he nodded his head quickly.

"You ever been surfing before?" Bowser asked. Junior was startled by the random nature of this question. He shook his head. "Well, you're gonna learn now," Bowser declared. "Stand up." Junior could feel his stubby legs trembling as he slowly rose to his feet. Bowser gripped Junior's torso when the little Koopa almost fell forward. Immediately, Junior could feel his panic returning through his short breaths. "Easy, easy," Bowser repeated. "Don't worry, you're not gonna fall in. I've got you." Junior didn't respond. "Relax, I've got you. You're not gonna fall," Bowser assured his son. "I promise." Junior steadied his breathing as he tried to stand up once more. This time he was successful as he felt Bowser's massive hand supporting his shell from behind.

"Okay…what now?" Junior inquired.

"Carefully walk up to the edge of my shell near my tail," Bowser directed. "You wanna tip us forward just enough that we can start turning towards the shoreline over there." Junior followed Bowser's pointing claw and sure enough, there was a massive stretch of land nearby. With a little shell-sailing, it was definitely reachable. "Just don't stand too far out or the lava will come creeping up," Bowser warned. Junior carefully followed his father's instructions. He got a feel for the balance with his feet and grew accustomed to his task relatively quickly.

He did pull his toes back when he saw the lava spill up a few times. Junior could feel a knot of regret forming in his stomach as he heard Bowser howl a little in pain each time; his tail getting dipped in the liquid death. Quickly, Junior found the right balance and surfed his way towards the shoreline. The only issue that remained now was how to get the two of them onto it without flipping Bowser over into his doom. They had to stop their movement first somehow.

"Now what do we do?" Junior asked. Bowser rubbed his chin with his free hand for a moment as he pondered. He spotted a dead tree branch dangling just above them. It would surely snap if they tried to use it to hoist themselves up onto the cliff, but grabbing it would at least stop the duo from drifting any further downstream.

"See that tree branch up there? Grab it," Bowser ordered. Junior stood on the tip of his toes and extended his small arm into the air as high as he could, but to no avail.

"I…can't reach it!" Junior panicked. Bowser had to think fast or they would drift too far away and lose their chance.

"Quick! Remember that cowboy cartoon you watch every weekend?"

"Sheriff Koopa?"

"Yeah, yeah! Remember that one episode where he swung his rope around into a lasso and tossed it to grab the bad guy?" Junior nodded.

"Pretend you're Sheriff Koopa!" Junior stared at him, confused.

"How?"

"Take off your bib there and pretend it's a lasso!" Bowser instructed. Junior blushed and gritted his teeth in anger. He _hated_ when people called his bandanna a bib. The little Koopa could vividly recall getting into a fight at school on one occasion with a kid who was teasing him over it and calling him a baby.

"It's _not_ a bib! It's-," Junior started.

"Whatever! Just use it!" Bowser interrupted. Junior undid the knot behind his head and began swinging the cloth in circles above him. Tossing it upward, the bandanna wrapped around the tree branch tightly. Junior pulled back to strengthen the connection, but Bowser tugged with one arm as well to ensure it would hold. The plan was successful as Bowser's shell turned gradually and drifted up to a spot along the shore that was low enough to climb onto from the river.

With no warning, Bowser scooped Junior up in the palm of his hand and tossed him onto land. He then rocked his shell back and forth several times to build up momentum. Finally, Bowser propelled himself forward onto the solid ground. He wasn't quite as successful as he had hoped, however. His ankle didn't quite make it in time and dipped into the lava once more. Roaring in anguish, Bowser pulled his burning foot out and nursed it for a moment until the pain wore off. Taking a heavy sigh of relief at their newfound safety, Bowser laid down on his chest and shut is eyes for a moment.

"You okay, Junior?" Bowser asked. Junior didn't say anything. Now that the two of them were out of immediate danger, he had a chance to catch his breath and think. He may have fallen unconscious for a little while, but he hadn't forgotten what happened earlier so easily. Bowser approached Junior and kneeled down to him. "That was a pretty nasty fall you took earlier," he pointed out. Junior vividly remembered landing on his arm first when he hit the ground after being sent backwards in the explosion. The pain was almost unimaginable to him. But he continued to ignore his father. Bowser noticed his son tenderly rubbing his arm. "Is your arm hurting you?" Bowser asked. He reached out to examine it, but Junior immediately jerked his whole body back when he felt his father's touch.

"Oww! Don't touch me!" Junior yelled.

"It's probably broken…," Bowser observed. He cupped Junior's cheek in the palm of his hand and examined Junior's face. One of his eyes was swollen and slowly turning purple. "Looks like you've got a black-eye too." Junior recalled getting smacked in the face by a piece of debris during the explosion. He refused to make any comments. Junior wasn't willing to admit that he was embarrassed over not anticipating Mario's counterattack in time, and he didn't want to accept any of the blame for his frustration when he knew it was all his dad's fault in the first place. Bowser rambled on about how important it was now to get him back to the castle so he could be treated for his injuries; completely ignoring what was on his child's mind.

"Why did you save me!?" Junior blurted out. Bowser blinked.

"Are you serious? Are you really asking me that?" he rebutted.

"Just tell me why!"

"How about because you're my son, huh? Or because you were in danger? Take your pick!" Junior tried to get angrier, but he was in too much pain; physically and emotionally. This conversation was going nowhere fast.

"I saw you, Dad…," Junior started quietly. Bowser's eyebrows rose.

"Huh?"

"You hesitated…," Junior elaborated. His arm was trembling, and it took everything Junior had to keep himself from crying. But he could still feel his lip quivering and a lump forming in his bruised throat. "I was in trouble…but you had to _think_ about saving me…" Bowser's heart sank.

"Junior...I-,"

"Why did you save me if I don't matter to you!?"

"I…,"

"Why didn't you just let me fall!? I _know_ that's what you really wanted! Then you wouldn't have a lousy son anymore!" Junior exclaimed as tears streamed down his face. He couldn't hold it back anymore. The little Koopa to the ground in a full burst of sobbing. Bowser closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"You're right…I did hesitate…," Bowser said at last. "But you shouldn't worry about why. The fact that I chose you in the end should be enough." Deep down Bowser knew that was a horrible explanation. But he just couldn't bring himself to be honest. Not here. Not now. As painful as it was for him to sit by as his child suffered and wept, now wasn't the time.

"Well it's not!" Junior argued as he continued to cry. "That doesn't help at all! Why didn't you just-"

"Because I made a promise!" Bowser interrupted. Junior sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Huh?"

"I made a promise to your mother…before she died….," Bowser elaborated. "I promised her that no matter what, I would protect you and keep you safe." Junior could feel the anger rising in his chest again.

"So what!?" he countered. "What does that matter anymore!? Mom's gone! You could break your promise if you wanted to! She's not here to get mad at you!"

"You have no _idea_ what a promise is…," Bowser objected. "You don't need to understand what it means either. Just know that nothing's gonna happen to you. Not on my watch." Bowser walked back over to the lava river and untied Junior's bandanna from the tree branch. He tied it back around Junior's neck. Junior wanted to continue arguing but just couldn't find anything more to say. He simply stood silently and continued to cry. "Come on, we need to get moving," Bowser declared as he motioned for Junior to follow him. "We need to get you home so we can have a doctor look at that arm of your's." Junior said nothing. He wanted to stand by and rebel just to show his dad that he wasn't ready to drop this fight. But he knew deep down that this wouldn't accomplish anything. So he followed Bowser without a word as the two began a long trek through the vast stretch of rock and soot-covered land ahead.


	5. The Reason

Bowser walked in stoic determination while Junior trailed a few feet behind him. The little Koopa didn't even bother trying to keep up his pace. He was more focused on making sure he looked at his father as rarely as possible. Junior didn't want anything to do with him now. He would've ran at that moment if he could. As far away and as fast as possible just to get away from Bowser. But he knew he wouldn't get far with his broken arm. So, the little Koopa followed obediently with bitter passive aggression. Junior's swollen eye was making it difficult to see, and his general fatigue from the earlier events was making his entire vision blurry. He didn't even see that Bowser had stopped right in front of him as he blindly bumped into his father's leg.

"Oof!" Junior groaned as he was halted. He shot a glare at the Koopa King, who was blankly staring back down at him. "What?" Junior inquired with a resenting tone.

"You look exhausted. Want me to carry you for a while?" Bowser offered. Junior jerked his head to the side and looked away.

"No," he replied.

"You sure? I think you could use the rest."

"I said no!" Junior stormed off around his father. But Bowser firmly gripped Junior's shoulder and forced him to make eye contact again.

"I'm not trying to baby you," Bowser clarified sternly. "But you're not doing your body any favors by being a brat. Besides, you can barely see where you're going with that busted eye of your's."

"I can see just fine!" Junior exclaimed. Unfortunately for him, his father still wasn't convinced.

"You couldn't even see me standing in front of you just now," Bowser stated. Junior didn't reply. "You can hate me and pout all you want. But you've been through a lot today. Why not give your legs a break?" Junior sighed.

"Fine…," he muttered quietly. Bowser picked Junior up in his arms with care to ensure that he didn't irritate his son's fractured arm. Junior blushed in embarrassment. Despite still being young, he didn't like being cradled in his father's arms like a baby. Several minutes later, Junior drifted off to sleep as the two journeyed on.

About an hour or so later, Junior slowly woke up, still in his father's arms. He caught Bowser's attention when he released a tiny yawn.

"Morning, sleepyhead," said Bowser. Junior didn't respond to that. Despite cooling down a bit from his nap, he was still very much angry with his father and wasn't in any hurry to bond with him again so soon.

"Are we almost home?" Junior asked.

"No. I don't know how far down the river we drifted so I have no idea where we are," Bowser answered. "Heck, I don't even know if we're going in the right direction," he added.

"What are we gonna do then?"

"Nothing we can do except just keep walking. At least until we find something familiar so I know where we are in this wasteland."

"Can't we just wait for Kammy and the others to come looking for us?" Junior suggested. "I mean, you're always telling _me_ to stay put if I get lost so you can find me."

"We don't know how long that will take, and we can't just wait around forever. You need medical attention now and your wounds are only going to get worse the longer we go without treating them," Bowser explained. Not having anything more to ask, Junior laid his head back down against Bowser's arm and drifted back off to sleep again.

Bowser was determined not to show it, but he was disappointed that Junior fell asleep again so soon. He liked having someone to talk to, even though he knew how upset his son was with him at the moment. This was a long and lonely journey to be traveling on practically alone, and when he was alone with his thoughts, the only thing Bowser could think about was the pain of his own injuries. The limp from his burned leg was growing more severe with every step he took and Bowser wasn't sure how much longer he could walk before his legs would give out completely.

Not only that, but Bowser felt as though his entire backside was on fire; no doubt as a result of his shell being exposed to lava for so long. But none of this mattered. Junior was hurt and he needed Bowser, whether he was willing to admit that or not. If Bowser were to give up now, they'd never make it home. As long as the Koopa King had even an ounce of strength left somewhere inside him, he had to keep going; keep moving no matter what. So he did. No matter the cost.

In a desperate effort to avoid the pain, Bowser's mind began to wander. His eyelids grew heavy, and his vision became blurry. He was slipping in and out of reality. Something more than just pain was consuming him. When Bowser shook his head and brought his eyes back into focus, everything around him had disappeared.

Bowser was now standing in a field of flowers in a white void. Everything else had completely vanished; the rough rock terrain beneath his feet, the mountains stretching on for miles…and even Junior from his arms! What was going on?

 _"Don't tell me you honestly think you can keep this up,"_ a familiar voice spoke. Bowser sharply turned his head to meet the sound. It was his wife again. She was seated comfortably in the field by his side. Was Bowser dreaming?

"What're you doing here?" Bowser asked.

" _You tell me. I seem to be on your mind a lot lately_ ," she replied. Bowser sighed and sat down next to her. He almost failed to notice that all of his pain and injuries had mysteriously disappeared. It was as if this strange new world he had been transported to had healed him instantly.

"I miss you, hun. Every day of my life is hell without you."

" _I miss you too, dear. But you're not as alone as you think. You have Junior, and you should be thinking about him more, not me_."

"I know…it's just...Junior needs his mom. I can't be you. I can't do all the things you did for him."

" _Well, you worked so hard in the beginning, and I think you came pretty close_ ," she replied. " _But Bowser, you don't have to be me. You just need to be yourself_."

"I tried doing that and look where it got me. Our son's hurt and he hates me," Bowser described gloomily. He hung his head low as he watched the roses around him swaying gently in the breeze.

" _That may be true, but what are you doing to try and fix it_?" she asked. Bowser pondered her question in silence.

"Well…I kept my promise to you. I protected him, didn't I?"

" _Yes, but remember, I also asked you to take care of him. Our little boy is feeling broken and scared right now. He needs his dad to show him that everything's okay_ ," she replied. " _You could start by telling him the truth; you know, the reason you hesitated_." Bowser ran his fingers through his orange hair.

"You _know_ how hard it is for me to talk about stuff like this," Bowser argued. "I made sure you knew back when we were still dating, that I'm not the teddy bear type."

" _I also remember you telling me how much you didn't want to be like your father_." Bowser felt immense guilt crawling all over him. " _You know that if you keep this up, Junior will grow up the same way. You have to break the cycle with him_." Bowser stared intensely at his wife.

"How is it that you always know just what to say to get my attention without nagging?" he inquired. She laughed at that.

" _Well, I do remember everyone calling me your better half_!" she recounted happily. " _But I guess that even if I wasn't, I only know what to say because….I'm not really here_." Bowser froze. She leaned in close and gave Bowser a gentle kiss on the cheek. " _It's flattering to me that this is how your heart speaks to you though. You're a lot sweeter than you give yourself credit for, my love_." Bowser shut his eyes in retaliation to a harsh, blinding light. When he opened them again, Bowser was right back where he was before; standing in the barren wasteland. Whatever daydream or hallucination Bowser had just had, it was over now.

Junior stirred a bit in Bowser's arms and woke up. He must've sensed somehow that Bowser had stopped walking.

"Dad…? What is it? …Are we home?" Junior asked groggily.

"No, Junior," Bowser denied. "You can go back to sleep. But listen…,"

"What's wrong?" Junior inquired. Bowser took a deep breath.

"For what it's worth….the reason I hesitated back there...was because…," Junior waited patiently for his father's answer. He wasn't sure why Bowser had suddenly decided to tell him now, but that hardly mattered. "Something in me changed when I fought Mario. I came out of that battle feeling…different. When I stood by and watched him fly up towards Peach…for some reason, I was angrier at that moment than I've ever felt before in the past. In the heat of the moment, I wanted something so much that I lost sight of what was always really important to me." Junior didn't respond. He wasn't sure that he fully understood what his father meant, but he remained silent and waited curiously for Bowser to finish. "And I saved you because I remembered. But I _didn't_ hesitate because I didn't love you or that I didn't want you anymore. I do, and that will never change."

Junior stared down at the ground. He had noticed that Bowser never once looked him in the eye when he spoke. He had been looking straight ahead instead. The little Koopa had followed his father's gaze earlier, but saw nothing of importance in the distance. He caught on pretty quickly that for whatever reason, Bowser wasn't willing to look at him as he confessed.

Junior wanted to be worried about that. He wanted to question his father's sincerity. But he just…couldn't. Maybe it was the fact that this was so different from the usual tough love stuff Bowser always gave him. Maybe his father wasn't used to opening up in a sentimental fashion like this. But the fact that he did just now was relieving, for the moment anyway.

"I hope you can at least take comfort in that, Junior…," said Bowser.

"I can. Thanks…"


	6. Bowser vs the Golems (Part 1)

Bowser grew a bit concerned when he saw the sky above fall into overcast and the land around him become slightly darker. It was hard enough not knowing where he and Junior were. But not being able to tell the time of day would only make this journey even tougher. Still, the clouds had cooled the air around him and Bowser was appreciative of this as it helped his shell cool down a bit and eased his back pains to a more tolerable degree for now.

Junior was now up and about as he ran around freely; straying from Bowser's side every so often to explore a little. Bowser was grateful that his confession earlier cheered his son up slightly, even though he was certain there was still much work to be done to truly repair their relationship. But for now, Bowser enjoyed watching Junior wander about and try to make some fun for himself as if his energy was limitless and his injuries were nonexistent.

"Whatcha doin', kiddo?" Bowser called out to him.

"Mmm…nothin'," Junior replied casually. Bowser gathered that Junior was growing bored and restless since there was nothing to do at the moment besides walk. Bowser still had no clue where they were or if they were even still in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore. The farther Bowser walked, the more unfamiliar the world around him became. Clearly the journey was far from over, so Bowser sympathized with Junior's need for entertainment. He wished there was something to distract the little Koopa with in order to pass the time. Bowser's heart nearly stopped when he saw Junior suddenly fall face first to the ground with a thud.

"Junior!" he shouted as he ran to help pick his son up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Junior assured him. "I think I tripped on something." The two looked back and sure enough, there was some piece of white material sticking out of the ground. Junior ran over to examine it. He tugged on it with his only good hand and with a little effort, he was able to pluck the object out as he fell backwards.

"What is it?" Bowser wondered aloud. Junior examined it carefully. Then his face lit up as he gasped.

"No way!" Junior exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"

"What, you know what this is?" Bowser questioned. Junior turned to him and nodded.

"Dad, I know this type of metal. This is a piece of my clown car!" Bowser practically did a double-take.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. This was part of the bottom exterior. It must've fallen here after the explosion," Junior theorized.

"All the way out here?" Bowser repeated. He was pretty skeptical of such a probability given how far away the two of them likely were by now from the platform in the sky. Junior gasped again.

"Wait a sec, this is great! You know what this means!? All the other pieces might be around here too!" Junior guessed. He quickly scoped out his immediate vicinity for additional evidence. "If we can find all of them, I can rebuild the Junior Clown Car and we can fly home!" Bowser looked at him with concern. He didn't want to rain on his son's parade, but he also wasn't willing to let the little Koopa get his hopes up.

"Junior, look at how small that piece is. There's no telling how much searching we'd have to do to find all the pieces; assuming they're all even still intact after the explosion," Bowser explained. "Besides, they probably all flew off in different directions so I doubt we'll find everything we'd need right in this spot."

"Come on, Dad! You never know!" Junior argued. "Maybe we can find enough parts for…something!" the little Koopa proposed optimistically. Bowser looked away in hopes that his skeptical eyes wouldn't completely destroy his son's hopes.

"Even if we find more, Junior, who knows how long this will take," Bowser countered. "I think we'd be better off saving our time and energy for walking." Bowser turned and started to resume his trek. Junior scurried around in front of him.

"Or, it could be faster this way! Come on, Dad! We gotta at least _try_!" Junior begged. Bowser rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Alright. We can go off the beaten path a little bit," Bowser declared. "But let's not get too side-tracked with this." Junior beamed in excitement and hurried off into the distance; still within Bowser's view.

Bowser and Junior ventured across the seemingly endless open terrain. Junior found a few more pieces of the clown car along the way, and Bowser was quickly becoming more convinced that they were actually just that as he saw more. However, Junior had yet to really discover anything substantial that would sway Bowser into believing that the pair could actually use this junk to get home faster somehow. The farther along they journeyed, the more plentiful the small boulders scattered around the area became. The boulders gradually grew larger in size the farther the pair traveled. When they finally came across rocks that were almost as big as Bowser, Junior made a noteworthy discovery. He ran around the other side of one of the rocks.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed. Bowser waited for Junior to return in a moment, holding whatever it was he'd just found. But when he was gone for more than a few seconds, Bowser followed Junior around the rock to see what had happened. Junior was examining an object that was slightly larger than himself resting against the rock. It was a long, black, cylindrical piece of metal that vaguely resembled a warp pipe. "This is the cannon!" Junior polished it with his tiny hand. Bowser couldn't believe it was still in great condition in the aftermath. "I wonder if it still works," Junior pondered.

"Well, it doesn't have any of the tech to fire automatically," Bowser pointed out. He walked over to it, searched around, and found what he was looking for. He held in his claw a short chain attached to the cannon. "You'd have to pull this to shoot it manually," Bowser explained.

"Cool! I never knew you could do that!" Junior commented gleefully.

"Well, this is a pretty old-school method. Nobody operates cannons with this anymore," Bowser described. He took some mild pleasure in giving Junior a little history lesson and being given some genuine enthusiasm in return for his efforts. Junior peered inside the opening in the front of the cannon.

"Wow! It's even still got some ammo left in it!" Junior pointed out. The little Koopa tried to lift the cannon, but he had a feeling it would be too heavy for him to move it, even if he had both of his arms. The two exchanged a back and forth about whether or not it was worth it to lug around a heavy cannon with them, but this ended when Bowser suggested they leave it in favor of finding more useful materials. After reaching this decision, Bowser and Junior walked back around the rock to where they came from previously. They halted however, when the earth below them suddenly began to violently quake.

Three tall stone structures emerged from the ground in front of them and came to life. The objects unfolded and towered over Bowser and Junior as they grew and expanded. Three bipedal anthropomorphic rock creatures stood together. The middle one prominently had some kind of crown-like carving attached to its head. Junior cowered behind Bowser when their soulless crimson eyes glared down at the duo.

"Mortal creatures," one of the golems spoke. "State your purpose for invading our lands." Junior gulped. Bowser stepped in front of him and approached the three rock gargantuan courageously.

"Don't act like you don't know who I am!" Bowser retorted confidently. "I'm King Bowser and I rule over _all_ of these lands!"

"Your tongue speaks with pride, but your mind is deluded," another of the golems replied. "Our race has dominated all that you see for millennia. We would never bow to a mere mortal such as yourself."

"I'll make you grovel if you don't start showing a little respect!" Bowser threatened. He may have grown a tendency to act a little more soft around his son, but that didn't mean he had forgotten who he was to the rest of the world. Bowser attempted to walk around one of the side creatures, but was immediately blocked by one of their arms.

"Brave words lined with misguided arrogance," the third of the golems responded. "Your destruction will hardly be worth remembering."

"Destruction? Cool your jets, rocky," said Bowser. "All we want is to get home. My kid is hurt and I could go for a cold shower right about now. So step aside and we can forget this little meeting ever happened." The golems were unfazed. Instead, one of them extended a fist up to Bowser's face in a threatening manner.

"Your request is eternally denied. None are permitted to travel on our sacred soil."

"Hey, if there was an easier way to go, we'd probably take it. But there isn't. So I suggest you and your pebble pals hit the road before I make you a _part_ of it." Junior was trembling at this point. The creatures were much taller than his father. Did he know what he was doing? Junior was horrified that this was all about to end badly.

"I will admit," the lead golem spoke. "It has been ages since we have encountered a being so bold such as yourself. If you are indeed determined to cross us, then perhaps you would not be opposed to betting your life against our's?"

"What do you mean?" Bowser asked.

"Put your courage to the test, mortal creature. We will permit you to pass. But only if you can best each of us consecutively in combat," the rock creature elaborated. "If you cannot, your life is forfeit." Bowser cracked his knuckles with a cocky expression plastered across his face. Even if there was an easier way to get around them, Bowser could never back down from a challenge.

"So I just have to beat each of you chumps into the ground, huh? Then we can go? I can live with those terms. Bring it on!" Bowser challenged.

"Very well," the lead golem acknowledged. It motioned for one of its accomplices to step forward while the other two stepped back. Junior hopped up to Bowser's side.

"I'm gonna help too!" he declared. Bowser's eyes widened.

"No way. You're already hurt enough as it is," Bowser denied.

"B-but you can't take these guys on all by yourself!" Junior argued. "Please, Dad! I don't want you to get hurt either."

"Relax, kiddo. I've faced worse odds than this," Bowser assured his child. "You just stand back and let your old man take care of this. We'll be on our way again before you know it!" he punctuated his promise with a wink. Junior sighed and admitted defeat. He walked slowly away a few paces and watched. The other of the lead golem's underlings slammed its fist into the ground, triggering another mini earthquake.

A circle of tall rocks protruded out from the ground and enclosed Bowser and his opponent in a mini arena. They were spaced just close enough together that squeezing through them was impossible. There was no escape. No turning back now. Junior watched from the other side of the rocks; his nerves running rampant. Bowser rotated his arms in circles to loosen up and prepare for the fight at hand.

"You may begin when ready," the lead golem announced. Bowser's opponent raised its hand up into the air. Instantly, it transformed into what Bowser and Junior perceived to be a giant mallet in shape. Bowser smirked; flashing his sharp teeth as he smashed one fist into his other hand. _Oh, this should be good_! he thought.

In a flash, the golem charged straight at Bowser as it unleashed a deep, menacing roar. Bowser sprinted forward as well to meet his opponent. With mallet and fist ready, the combatants were set and the first match began.

The golem slammed its mallet down directly towards Bowser. The Koopa King side-stepped out of the way and delivered a straight jab directly into his opponent's face. Bowser's sheer strength caused the golem's face to crack, but not yet break. The creature was also sent backwards a few inches before regaining its balance. Bowser smirked menacingly.

The golem charged forward and prepared to attack again in a similar fashion as before. Bowser resolved to dodge and counterattack once more. But when he moved to deliver the second jab, the golem caught him by surprise and slugged Bowser clear across the face with its free hand. Bowser was sent flying backwards as he tumbled along the ground. _What the heck_!? Bowser thought to himself. _This guy hits almost as hard as me! Well, good….Maybe he won't be such a push-over after all!_ Bowser stood up and charged forward to meet his opponent once again.

Meanwhile, Junior was growing increasingly nervous watching from outside the arena. He had noticed that his father was already heavily damaged from his fight with Mario earlier. Not to mention the pain he was likely experiencing from being in the lava for so long. What was Bowser thinking? Did he seriously have the strength to take on three of these monsters in a row? The little Koopa felt as though he were going to throw up from his anxiety.

The golem raised its mallet arm into the air, and prepared to clobber the Koopa King with all of its might. Bowser was preparing to dodge again, but something went wrong this time. He felt a paralyzing jolt of pain surge through his lower back. It was too late. His body couldn't get out of the way in time. Panicking, Bowser caught the mallet with both hands as it reached him and tried with all of his strength to stop it. It was working, but only temporarily.

Bowser was giving his all to stop the mallet from crushing him, but he was feeling much weaker than usual all of a sudden. He couldn't move his legs and attempt to get out of the way. The pain in his lower back was too much and it had him locked in place. He had to think fast. His arms were giving out fast and the mallet was getting closer. But Bowser wasn't one to go out with a whimper. The second Bowser felt his back pain subside ever so slightly, he summoned all of his remaining strength to shove the mallet back up into the air. However, this did not give Bowser enough time to get out of the way. The mallet came rushing back down and crushed Bowser under its tremendous weight as it pounded him into the ground. The golem was not prepared to let up. It pulled the mallet back up and wasted no time in hammering down again.

Bowser stopped the mallet from flattening him by thrusting it back with his feet. If he had no upper body strength left, he would just have to rely on lower instead. Luckily, the pain in his back was gone for now, so Bowser was able to push the mallet back with enough strength to send it up into the air and give himself just enough time to roll out of the way. Bowser sat on the ground for a second as he gasped for air.

"What's wrong, loud-mouthed moral?" the golem taunted. "Is that all the strength you have?" Bowser gritted his teeth in anger. He couldn't let himself go down this easily. He'd faced much tougher opponents than this in the past. If he wasn't injured and exhausted, Bowser was confident he would've thrashed this golem easily already. But, there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to find a way to win under these circumstances.

Bowser glanced over at Junior, whose terrified expression nearly broke his heart. But at the same time, it was just the reminder Bowser needed of what was truly at stake. _I can't lose here. Junior needs me…_ Bowser thought. _What kind of a leader….no…what kind of_ _ **dad**_ _would I be if I gave up now just because of a few bruises and aches!?_ How could Bowser ever expect Junior to be a strong and courageous leader one day if he couldn't set a good example himself? _Alright, kiddo. Watch this…._

Bowser rose to his feet and glared at the golem. The Koopa King raised his fists close to his face and took a fighting stance as he braced himself once more. This time, the golem leaped into the air and prepared to pulverize Bowser into the ground with his mallet as it rocketed down towards him from above. Time slowed down as the golem approached. Bowser pulled back one of his arms in preparation like an arrow against a bow string.

Just as the mallet was about to reach Bowser, he smashed the weapon head-on with twice as much strength. The mallet flew straight back, but gravity pulled it down once more. Bowser met it with a second punch, then a third. He jabbed the mallet repeatedly as if it were a punching bag. The golem was jerked forward and back by the constant shifts in momentum as it had no control over its arm.

Finally, Bowser concentrated all of his strength into one final punch. When it was delivered, the mallet rocketed up and collided directly with the golem's face. The sheer force shattered the creature's head into pieces! With no head, the stone creature immediately fell apart and crumbled into a pile of rubble. The dust settled with only the sound of Bowser's heavy breathing cutting through an otherwise pin-drop silence. The two remaining golem were speechless, as was Junior.

"Yo, rock-heads!" Bowser called out. The two golem turned to look at their enemy. "That was only round one, right?" The creatures did not respond immediately. The intimidation radiating from Bowser's eyes was something they had never experienced before. "So….who's next?"


	7. Bowser vs the Golems (Part 2)

"Do not think you have won so easily, fool!" the second golem underling retorted. It wasted no time in stepping forward for the second battle. Bowser smirked, chuckled, and stepped up to face the golem as well. Without waiting for a signal to start, the golem extended both of its arms into the air. Bowser expected a transformation from this one too, but he didn't have the slightest idea what he was going to be up against.

The golem's arms extended outward a considerable length, but thinned out along the way. The ends sharpened and the golem had formed two stone lances. It scraped the two thin rock blades together a few times, then thrust them at their target. Bowser jumped, ducked, and leaned backwards to avoid several of their pursuits. But even if he were in better condition at that moment, Bowser was sure that evading all of these attacks was going to be difficult.

Countering was next to impossible. The lances had driven Bowser a considerable distance away from his opponent. They moved swiftly and accurately. Bowser tried to keep up as best as he could, but he was cut and scraped in several different places along the way. One lance was swung directly horizontally to Bowser's chest. The Koopa King responded by jumping backwards. But now he was cornered as the golem had pressed him up against a rock at the edge of the arena. With nowhere left to go, the golem launched its other lance straight at Bowser with blinding speed.

Bowser tried to catch it with his claws, but he wasn't quite fast enough. Thanks to its tremendous range, the lance still managed to reach its target as it stabbed Bowser directly in the chest. Thankfully, Bowser's grip managed to stop the weapon from digging too deeply to inflict a fatal blow. Junior winced when he saw his father cough up a bit of blood. There was no doubt about it in Bowser's mind. This opponent was definitely more difficult than the first. To make matters worse, Bowser felt another surge of pain in his back. Even though the lance wasn't quite pinning him to the rock behind, the Koopa King couldn't get his legs to move him out of the way.

Bowser did have one idea, but he knew it would come at a cost. Bowser took a deep breath and blew a stream of fire at the lance that was penetrating him. Then, he gripped the lance where it was burned between his claws and squeezed it as hard as he could. The rock was immensely hot from his flame breath, so Bowser's hands blistered from the direct contact. But the Koopa King fought through the pain. With enough pressure, the lance softened, cracked and eventually crumbled within Bowser's grip. He was free and capitalized on his newfound opportunity just as his back pain subsided.

The golem froze as it tried to process what had just happened. Bowser charged forward towards his opponent to close as much distance between the two as possible. By the time the golem saw Bowser's approach, it was too late. It tried to retract its remaining lance arm to defend itself, but Bowser tackled the creature to the ground. Wasting no time, Bowser cupped his hands together and slammed his combined fists down directly onto the golem's face; shattering it with ease. Without uttering a word, Bowser staggered to his feet as he stood over his second victim. Bowser lifted his head and glared at the single remaining golem.

"I commend you for making it this far," said the lead golem as it slowly approached from the sidelines. "Few challengers have." Bowser had no snarky comeback this time. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible. "However, you will meet your end here."

"Let's get this over with…," Bowers replied. The two combatants met in the center of the ring. To Bowser's surprise, the lead golem did not transform its limbs into any kind of weaponry like the previous two. It simply stood by and waited, mockingly; as if it was allowing Bowser to make the first move for a change.

Bowser didn't hesitate. He swung one hardy fist directly at the golem. With precise timing, the creature lifted its hand to block the attack. The hand transformed into a large, flat shield. Bowser's fist made contact, but had no effect. The Koopa King wasn't too startled by this. What kind of shield would it be if it couldn't handle a single attack? He swung a similar attack with his other fist, and the lead golem countered in an identical fashion.

 _So…two shields. That's this guy's quirk, huh?_ Bowser gathered. But something about this didn't seem right. Sure, shields were good for blocking and defending. But what about offense? What exactly was this king golem planning?

The golem thrust both of its shields towards Bowser and shoved him backwards. Bowser tried to stand his ground, but could feel his feet slipping as he moved. This golem was much stronger than the previous two. The golem hunched over Bowser as he overpowered him. Was he trying to smother the Koopa King into the ground? Bowser tried to fight back but was forced down onto one knee. _Not….good…_ , Bowser commented to himself as the pressure from the golem grew stronger. His arms were giving out again and his back was acting up once more. This was the mallet situation all over again. The difference however, was that Bowser was now in even worse shape than before. He was much more tired and he wasn't sure if willpower alone would get him out of this.

Soon enough, Bowser was on his back with the golem continuing to pressure him from above. His hands were under so much pressure from the shields that Bowser couldn't retract them. Not to mention the pain he was feeling in them from the earlier burns. He was now completely pinned to the ground. Thinking quickly, Bowser pressed his feet up against the golem's chest to try and give himself some added support, but his opponent continued to bear down on him, unfazed. Frustrated, Bowser kicked the golem as hard as he could. He could feel the creature back off ever so slightly. This was it, his chance. Bowser kicked the golem once more, but harder. He continued to kick the golem over and over, forcing it back a little bit each time. Finally, Bowser managed to push his opponent off of him entirely. Bowser tried to climb to his feet, but stumbled a few times. His entire body was going numb. Now was not the time for it to start quitting on him. Finally, Bowser worked up enough adrenaline for one final confrontation.

The Koopa King stood up at last and charged at the golem. He struck each shield multiple times with his fists. He didn't care how hard or how many times he had to punch them. Bowser was determined to break through no matter what. He had come this far already. He was not about to lose now. But the king golem was not willing to admit defeat so easily either. It continued to block Bowser's advances and push back with fractions of its full power. The two had practically reached a stalemate.

This was all getting too much for Junior to watch. He couldn't sit by and witness his father struggle and suffer so much anymore; all for the sake of getting the right to make the rest of the journey home. The little Koopa hated feeling so helpless. There had to be _something_ he could to help Bowser; anything at all. At one point during the battle, Bowser had butted heads with the king golem. His horns managed to scrape the crown and create a crack. A small light crept out from this newly formed opening. The Koopa King failed to see this development in the heat of combat, but not Junior.

 _His crown…_ , Junior thought. _That's gotta be a weak spot…_ The little Koopa's mind raced as he desperately tried to piece together a strategy somehow. But what could be done?

"Dad!" Junior called out. "Hey, Dad!" Bowser didn't respond. He didn't even turn to acknowledge his son. He was too busy delivering jabs and fighting off the golem's shields; too wrapped up in his battle to stop for even a second. Junior figured his father was too exhausted from the previous two battles. Trying to get his attention now was pointless. But still, the little Koopa knew he had to do something to help. There was no way Bowser could keep this up forever. But how could Junior possibly help from the sidelines? Suddenly, an idea came to him. "The cannon!" Junior exclaimed.

He hurried around to where he found the weapon previously. He had an idea, but now he just needed his body to be strong enough to make it happen. Junior lugged the cannon over to an opening between two rocks at the arena's boundaries. Struggling but remaining ever persistent, Junior managed to lift the cannon up with one arm and angle it in the opening. The king golem was now directly in the cannon's line of fire.

Junior huddled down behind it, gripped the chain in his hand, squinted his eye, and waited for the perfect moment. Bowser and the golem continued going at it. They moved back and forth, pushing forward, then retreating back. Neither one was willing to hold still in fear of giving the other a chance to overpower. Junior had to wait for just the right moment to strike. With only one cannon ball, he had to make this shot count. If he missed, Bowser would be doomed.

Junior's hand was practically trembling as he gripped the chain. _Not yet…not yet….not…yet…._ _ **NOW**_! Junior screamed in his mind. He pulled the chain with every ounce of energy the little Koopa had left. The cannon fired with an echoing boom as the ball rocketed into the arena. The golem was too distracted to see it coming. The canon ball crashed into the golem's crown, shattering the outer stone shell to pieces. A radiant light poured out. Bowser backed off to shield his eyes until the light faded.

"Dad!" Junior beckoned to him once more time. This time Bowser responded. He looked over at Junior and tried to piece together what had just happened as soon as he saw the cannon poking through. "Look!" Junior directed. "On the monster's head!" Bowser's eyes rushed to the destination. Nestled in the golem's crown was….a power star!

 _No wonder my attacks haven't been doing a thing_! Bowser realized. _This coward's been hiding behind a power star to make himself invincible_! Wasting no more time, Bowser sprinted towards the golem to end this battle. He tugged at the glowing treasure and removed it from its stone prison before the golem could stop him. With the creature now powerless, Bowser delivered one final punch and smashed the golem's face into pieces. The battle was over.

The rocks around the arena shattered into rubble, freeing Junior to approach his father at last. Bowser stood completely still for a moment as he stared blankly at the power star in his hand. His vision was fading and he began to rock back and forth.

"Dad!" Junior exclaimed, now at his side. "…Dad…Are you okay…?" At that moment, Bowser released the power star and collapsed to the ground on his chest. Junior called out to him a few more times in vain as he tried to usher some kind of response. Bowser was out cold. Junior pressed his head to his father's in silence.

The star Bowser had been holding flew up into the air and glowed brightly enough to get Junior's attention. A ray of light descended from the heavens high above as it cut through the clouds and showered the wasteland in radiance. Junior witnessed this desolate world around him become transformed in an instant. The rocks and rubble disappeared out of existence. The barren soil became populated with plentiful fields of grass and flowers stretching onward for miles. Trees populated the now lush, colorful landscape. Junior witnessed a large chunk of land behind him sink as a body of sparkling water emerged from a hole in the center and filled the indentation in the earth. At last, the source of all this light and magic presented itself before Junior.

Hovering just above him was a personified yellow star with a large, snow white mustache and eyebrows; as well as bold dark green eyes.

"Greetings, Prince Bowser Jr.," the star spoke in a deep, elderly voice.

"You…know me?" Junior responded.

"You made your presence known to us earlier this day when you ascended to Star Haven in search of a means to a certain end," the star elaborated. Junior blushed.

"Oh…right," he replied awkwardly.

"I am Eldstar, the eldest of the seven star spirits," the star greeted.

"Why are you here?"

"Many years ago, a star fell from the skies en route to Star Haven and descended here in the land around us. However, it was imprisoned by creatures of stone who sought to use the star's power to assert dominance over the land," Eldstar explained. "The star made the leader of this race unmatched in combat to all who opposed it. Our best efforts to free this star were unsuccessful. Even the land wept for the star's suffering as it fell into disarray. We believed the star would remain forever bound to this earth…until today." Eldstar looked down upon Bowser, who was still unconscious in the grass close by. "We never anticipated that someone with wicked intentions such as Bowser would be capable of such heroism."

"We didn't know those guys had a power star," Junior explained. "My dad was just trying to beat them so we can go home."

"Yes, and it is clear to see that his victory did not come without a price, for his wounds run deep and his heart has suffered great turmoil," Eldstar described.

"Please! You gotta help him somehow!" Junior begged.

"Fear not," Eldstar assured. "His efforts have not fallen deaf upon our ears. The stars do not turn blind to those of courageous black hearts in need of salvation." Eldstar turned to Junior. "As a demonstration of my blessing for freeing this power star from its prison, I will grant you one wish." Junior's face lit up.

"Really!? Thanks so much!" he cheered. The little Koopa rose to his feet. Instantly, Junior knew exactly what he wanted to wish for. "I wish me and my dad were home!"

"Alas, this is a request I cannot grant," Eldstar replied.

"Huh!?" Why not!?"

"Bowser's actions and your assistance in this manner are indeed valiant. However, not all can be forgiven so easily," the old star described. "On many occasions, Bowser has thrown the Mushroom Kingdom into a state of disorder. You as well, my boy, attempted to misuse the power of a star in order to bring harm to another not so long ago."

"I'm sorry but…this is different! I promise! Please…we just wanna go home…"

"The stars are reluctant to lend so much power to a wish of those who have a history of causing tyranny and suffering to the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom; especially in the aid of one who once stole our beloved Star Rod to use in committing malicious deeds. I am sorry my child, but I cannot overlook the past. My generosity has a limit."

"If that's how it is, why are you even offering a wish in the first place if I can't wish for anything?"

"I do not wish ill will upon you or your father despite past events. Not while the stars are in debt to you for this one act. I still wish to aid you in your quest, young one. It will be a long and difficult journey back to the Mushroom Kingdom. You and your father will need one another if you are ever to return home safely. If there is another way I can diminish your suffering in your quest, speak now." Junior fell silent. If he couldn't just wish to return home, he would have to think of something else instead. He took a deep breath and faced Eldstar.

"I wish my dad was healed and wasn't hurting so much. I can't make it home without him and I don't want him to be in pain anymore," the little Koopa requested.

"A selfless action from a compassionate young heart," Eldstar commented. "I will make it so." Suddenly, Bowser was enveloped in an aura of light as he was lifted into the air by unseen forces and gently placed into the spring nearby. The body of water emanated its own light as it nurtured the injured Koopa King. Junior stood by and watched, unsure of whether or not this would actually work. Junior had never met one of the star spirits before, and Eldstar's words about limited generosity had him worried that Bowser wouldn't be healed completely without some kind of catch.

"Thanks…," Junior spoke quietly, rubbing his broken arm gingerly.

"I sense that you are hurting as well, young one," Eldstar commented. "I urge you to use the spring for yourself. Your father will need your full strength as equal aid in this quest." Hesitantly, Junior approached the body of water and slowly dipped his arm within the soothing liquid. After experiencing a quick, mild numbing sensation, the little Koopa was amazed to be able to pull his arm out on its own. It was healed after all! He quickly dipped his head under the surface and retracted it a moment later. As he had hope, his black-eye was healed as well and the little Koopa could see again! Bowser was lifted out of the water by a mysterious force again and placed gently in the grass near a tree. His cuts, bruises, and burns from the earlier battles had all disappeared, but Bowser was still out cold. Junior gathered that he was just too exhausted to wake up at that moment.

"It is time I leave, Prince Junior," Eldstar admitted. "I wish you and your father a safe journey home. Despite our history, I truly believe there is good inside Bowser too, just as you have proven that there is good in you."

"Thanks, Mr. Eldstar!" Junior exclaimed as he happily waved to the star spirit ascending into the clear night sky above. After Eldstar was out of view, Junior sat down by Bowser and tenderly rubbed his father's arm. He laid back against the tree and sighed when he heard his stomach grumble loudly. _Aww man, he couldn't have given us something to eat too?_ Junior complained to himself. Suddenly, something fell from the sky above and collided with Junior's head. He sat up, nursing the point of impact and found an apple near his feet. The little Koopa glanced up and noticed that the tree behind him had a plentiful supply of apples growing in its branches. He smiled and took a bite of the delicious fruit. He could've sworn he heard a voice blowing in the wind.

 _May the stars watch over you and guide you safely back from whence you came…_


	8. Memories - First Fragment

**Author's Note:**

 _The following chapter is a series of flashbacks. It doesn't forward the immediate plot of Bowser and Junior's journey home. Instead, it sheds some light on events that happened prior to this story. You can skip this chapter if you really want to get back on the road with the Koopas right away, but you might be confused why certain characters think and act the way they do in a later chapter without getting this context first. Also, this chapter gives us a better look at a certain character we know little about thus far so I tried to make it worth your time! I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

The rain continued to pour for far longer than anyone in the Koopa Kingdom anticipated that day. But a little water was no excuse to postpone training, much to the dismay of the royal guard's soldiers. The war was looming regardless of the weather, and the day of departure to the frontlines was rapidly approaching. The troops had to be ready by then no matter what.

In the training yard of the castle grounds, Bowser threw yet another desperate punch towards his opponent, who evaded with ease, grabbed him, and sent him tumbling into the mud with an effortless toss. The Koopa Prince found it more and more difficult to stand up with each failed attempt; his spirit collapsing. He wiped the mud off of his face and accepted his sparring partner's hand, who offered to help him up. Bowser's determination sunk to new depths however, when he saw the disappointed glare of his father, King Morton Koopa Sr., who had been watching from the upper tower.

"Hey, don't look so down, Sir," the sparring partner comforted. "You almost had me that time. I think you're just having an off-day, that's all!"

"Thanks…," Bowser replied gloomily. "But it's not _your_ judgement I'm worried about, Frederick." Bowser removed his helmet as he exited the grounds. The Koopa took off the rest of his armor and dried himself with a towel when someone approached him in the hallway.

"What do you think you're doing? Today's training isn't over yet!" exclaimed King Morton.

"It is for me," Bowser replied. "Dad, I'm not cut out for this. I can't…be a solider."

"This isn't about whether you think you're meant to be a soldier or not," Morton argued. "We are at war, and you're the future heir to the throne. Your kingdom is counting on you to stand up and lead the defenses!"

"Well, I can't do that!" Bowser exclaimed.

"You _will_ do it!" Morton roared.

"No, I-!" Furious, the king smacked Bowser across the face, sending him tumbling to the floor.

"You'll never be worthy of the throne unless you can stop feeling sorry for yourself and toughen up!" Morton stormed off, leaving his son on the cold, hard tile. Bowser picked himself up, ignoring his mother-who had watched this scene unfold-and her attempts to help.

"Honey, I know you're worried," she spoke. "But I have faith in you. The whole kingdom does. We've seen how hard you've been training and the things you can do." She placed her claws on her son's shoulders. "I believe you'll come back to us. But you need to believe in yourself too." Bowser shrugged her hands off.

"It doesn't matter, Mom," Bowser argued. "I could go out there and single-handedly end this stupid war myself. Dad's feelings won't change. They never will. I'll _never_ be good enough for him…," Bowser left his mother's side as he grabbed a scroll resting on a table nearby. "I'm gonna be reviewing the troop formations again in my room tonight. Just have my dinner sent up there. Other than that, no disturbances, please," he requested. The Koopa prince coldly exited the room.

* * *

The Koopa royal army gathered at dawn at the gates of the castle on the fated day. Families wept for their husbands and sons who were going off to war, some to never return. Bowser was the last to arrive. He couldn't bring himself to give any more of a heartfelt goodbye than a hug for his mother. She understood of course, since her son had been groomed from a young age to not be too affectionate. After all, he had too many important obligations as the prince to simply make a name for himself as "Momma's little Koopaling."

But unlike with his mother, Bowser didn't even glance at his cold-hearted father as he strolled past him on his way over to the army. Somehow Prince Bowser was sure that regardless of whether he came back from the war or not, it wouldn't be good enough for the king unless he was doing so as a hero. If the prince did not exceed his expectations, he was a failure in his father's eyes. The tough love parenting style may have toughened Bowser up for the better in terms of combat, but it made it difficult for the Koopa prince to connect with anyone on a genuine level.

* * *

Prince Bowser sprinted across the war-torn land dividing his kingdom with that of the enemy. He had to be on his guard constantly. The enemy had proven to be crafty and ruthless above all else. One small mistake out here could've very well been his last. These odd, non-Koopa creatures would stop at nothing until they had conquered all the land as far as the eye could see. It was the job of Bowser's army to put them in their place in the name of King Morton.

Frederick's words seemed to ring true as Prince Bowser found the majority of his opponents to be inferior to him in battle. Any of his earlier blunders in training were most likely as a result of pressure from his father. Out here alone in the heat of battle, Bowser was living up to his own standards. Most of his opponents went down with a single punch and hardly any of them were skilled enough with a sword or an axe to leave as much as a dent in the Koopa's armor. Bowser left many soldiers dead in his wake. But one soldier in particular would change everything.

Bowser narrowly avoided an enemy soldier's spear, which had been lunged at him when the user leaped at him out of nowhere. He tried to finish the fight in one punch, but the enemy was too quick. However, the attacker underestimated Bowser's sheer strength. The Koopa Prince snatched the soldier's spear with one hand and snapped it in two effortlessly.

Fighting empty-handed didn't seem to slow down this specific soldier one bit, to Bowser's surprise. He launched a straight kick clear across Bowser's face, jumped behind him, and tackled the Koopa to the ground. He then bound Bowser's arms and legs together with rope to ensure that this fight was over.

"Not bad, big fella. Just…not good enough," the soldier taunted.

"It's not over unless you kill me!" Bowser retorted.

"Bloodshed is pointless here. We want no part in this conflict. Just call off your troops and tell your king to back off."

"And if I refuse?" The soldier kneeled down to Bowser's level on the ground and removed his helmet. Bowser's eyes widened. "Hold on a second…you're a _girl_!?"

"Don't be one of those idiots," the woman warned. "Male, female, who cares what I am? It doesn't change the fact that I bested you in a serious fight just now."

"Alright, fine. You caught me. Big deal. But if you're not going to kill me, what're you gonna do with me then?" Bowser asked.

"I'm the commander of this army, and I've gathered that you're the leader of your's. Instead of killing each other, there's no reason we can't settle this dispute like adults," the woman described. "You… _are_ an adult, right?" She noticed that Bowser looked incredibly young to be the commander of an army. Even for a non-human, Bowser appeared to be closer to a teenager in his species compared to other Koopas in the army.

"Close enough," Bowser responded. "But Koopas age much slower and live much longer than you humans do. Listen, if you're really here to settle things peacefully, how about you untie me first instead of treating me like cattle?"

"And let you attempt to come at me for round two? I don't think so," she answered.

"You said your people wanted no part in this conflict. Well, I can assure you that we don't want to fight you either. It's our paranoid king who's convinced that violence is the only way to settle this little property dispute. If you're serious about ending this peacefully, you could start by showing me an ounce of respect," Bowser explained. The woman placed a finger to her chin. "In exchange, I promise no back-stabbing or double-crossing. No tricks. I'd expect the same from you."

"Fair enough," the woman replied. She untied Bowser's binds and helped him up. "What's your name?" she inquired.

"I'm Prince Bowser Koopa; 64th heir to the royal Koopa throne," he introduced. "And you are?"

"I'm Princess Celia of the Rose Kingdom." The two shook hands and it wasn't until that particular moment that Bowser stopped and witnessed Celia's sheer beauty. Her long, silky red hair was a compliment to her slender figure and emerald eyes, which were casually observing him with calm composure.

"I've never heard of a princess who actually comes out to do the fighting herself," Bowser commented.

"Neither have my parents," Celia replied. "I couldn't let my people fight unless I was at their side." The woman went on to explain how she disguised herself as a soldier; training in secret and prepping herself for combat due to her belief that a true leader is one who fights with its followers; not one sitting back and just giving orders.

Taking a seat on a set of rocks, Bowser and Celia talked for hours. They exchanged stories about their cultures and found common interests in music and cuisine; but they also spoke of their upbringings, vented about their difficult home lives, and discovered a shared disbelief in the validity of this war. Celia admitted that she had been raised to believe that Koopas were nothing more than savage monsters who only understood power and murder. Bowser assured her that under King Morton's rule, this belief was practically true.

"But, it probably wouldn't be fair of me to assume you're the same way," said Celia.

"Sure it would," Bowser argued. "Do you know how many of your friends I probably killed today before I met you?"

"They knew what they were getting themselves into when they were drafted. We all did. Besides, if killing was all there was to you, then how have we been sitting here talking for this long, and you haven't once had the urge to attack me?"

"Heh…how do you know I'm not just biding my time?" Bowser teased in a playfully menacing manner as he raised a single claw to her chin. Celia crushed Bowser's claw painfully in her grip.

"Because you know I'd kick your shell again if you tried it!" she retorted. The two shared a hardy laugh with one another. Neither one had expected to share such a pleasant conversation, and with the enemy leader no less! Bowser expressed how this had been the first time he had genuinely connected with someone, and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be ashamed or not that it was with someone outside of his race.

"It's only wrong if _you_ think it is," said Celia.

"I…I don't think it is," Bowser replied. "But I do think this whole thing is wrong…"

"What is?"

"You know…the war." Celia followed Bowser's gaze to the ground. "Why are we doing this? We've got no beef with each other. Here we are joking about killing one another…but we aren't actually doing it," he explained.

"It's our parents," Celia answered. "Mine want everyone living on these lands to be associated with the Rose Kingdom. In their eyes, anyone else is an abomination and needs to be wiped from the earth." She looked up at Bowser who refused to make eye contact. "B-but….But _I_ don't feel that way!" she stammered. "I don't think Koopas are an abomination at all. I don't….especially not you." The princess failed to notice her hand in time as it accidentally brushed Bowser's massive claw. She tried to sweep the small physical encounter under the rug by forcing herself to keep talking. "And it sounds like your parents want the same thing: for Koopas to be the dominant race and for all others to pack up and leave or die."

"Yeah but, that doesn't mean it's what _I_ want," Bowser corrected. "It's just part of my dad's old world mentality because that's how my grandfather raised him. The royal family has been brought up generation after generation on this stone-cold, tough love attitude," Bowser explained. "I'm so sick of it…"

"Then…why don't we try to change all of this?" Celia suggested. Bowser raised his eyebrows as he looked at her.

"What do you mean?" By now, he had realized that Celia's thin, tender fingers were resting on his. He didn't do a thing to stop her.

"They can't make us fight, Bowser," Celia explained. "We can put a stop to this, and no one else has to die. I know you want to be done with all of this, and I think you could use a boost in confidence," Celia advised. "Let me help you. But first, you have to help me." Bowser chuckled.

"So…what, are you going to bring me home to meet your folks for dinner?" the Koopa Prince joked. Celia laughed at that as well.

"Maybe. But I might need to tie you up, stick an apple in your mouth, and tell them that you _are_ the dinner first." Time was running short and allies from each side were bound to discover the pair eventually. Bowser and Celia made plans to meet again the following day and devise a strategy to take the matter of their kingdoms' futures into their own hands.


	9. Crashing Down

Bowser blinked his eyes rapidly as he gradually awoke to the dazzling morning sunlight. The Koopa King sat up, holding his head in his hand. It took him a moment to realize he was now sitting in grass. Startled, Bowser jerked his body left and right as he attempted to take in his new surroundings.

 _Huh?...What!? What the….What…happened?_ Bowser pondered. _Where am I?_ He relaxed slightly and smiled when he found Junior, who was fast asleep under an apple tree nearby. Bowser climbed to his feet and walked over to the spring. The water was so clean and pure. It was refreshing to drink and felt soothing for the Koopa King to splash on his face and run through his hair. He was relieved to find that this wasn't just a mirage. It was real…but how? What had happened to this wasteland? When did it become so full of life?

At that moment, Bowser also realized…all of his injuries were gone! All of them; the burns on his hands, the scrapes and cuts from the lances, the bruises from his battle with Mario, and the burning and aches in his back. This was all too good to be true. Was he still dreaming somehow?

Fully rested, Junior slowly awoke soon after as well. He jumped to his feet in excitement when he saw his father over by the spring.

"Dad!" he shouted as he ran over. Bowser turned but was tackled by his son before he could see him coming. "You're awake!" Bowser smiled and embraced his child's hug.

"So are you," he commented with a smile. "Want some water?" he offered. Junior nodded his head enthusiastically. Bowser scooped a sample up in his hand and offered it to his son to drink. With their injuries gone, Bowser and Junior weren't in quite as much of a hurry to get on the road again. So they decided to stick around in their newfound paradise on such a beautiful day just a little bit longer; dipping their feet in the water to cool off and relax.

"So you think we can make it home now since we aren't hurt anymore?" Junior asked.

"Probably," Bowser answered. "By the way, you mind filling me in on what I missed after I blacked out?" Bowser asked. "What happened around here?" Junior told his father about Eldstar's arrival as well as the power star that was imprisoned by the golems.

"I even got to make a wish!" Junior concluded happily. Bowser's eyes widened upon hearing that. He had a strange, almost horrified expression in them.

"You did? What….did you wish for, Junior?"

"Well…I wished for you to be healed. That's what the water did." Bowser grabbed Junior's shoulders violently and shook him a little.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST WISH FOR HIM TO SEND US HOME!?" Bowser exclaimed. Junior was frightened by his father's sudden outburst and uncomfortable grip on him.

"W-well, I tried! Honest," Junior panicked. "B-but he couldn't do that…,"

"Why not!?"

"He said he couldn't grant a wish that powerful cuz of all the bad stuff we do," Junior answered. "He said the stars don't really trust us that much or…something like that." Bowser released his son, slapped his palm to his face and sighed heavily. "What's…wrong?" the little Koopa asked worriedly.

"Junior, Junior, Junior…," Bowser started. "You don't just back down when one of those wimpy stars tell you 'no!' You're supposed to _demand_ they grant your wish!"

"But Dad-!"

"But nothing! We're _Koopas_ , Junior. We're the rightful rulers of this land! Anything we want, we take. Come on, brat! I've been trying to teach you this since day one!" A guilty expression washed over Junior's face. He'd hoped his father would've been a little more grateful and appreciative of his wish. He didn't like this scolding one bit.

"Dad you don't understand!" Junior argued.

"The only thing I don't understand here is how you could've messed up an opportunity like this!" Junior could practically feel his heart break a little after hearing that.

"You should be _thanking_ me!" the little Koopa objected aggressively. "It's cuz of me that you're not in pain anymore!"

"Well, that doesn't do us much good when I still don't know where we are _or_ how to get us home!" Bowser exclaimed. "You had one chance to get us out of this mess altogether and you completely screwed it up!" Junior couldn't believe what he was hearing. His dad was reverting back to his old ways. It was just like yesterday. Here the two of them were, arguing again. Junior stood up. He tried to say something more but couldn't find the words. So he resolved to turn and run away. "Where are you going!?" Bowser asked angrily after him.

"I'm gonna find my own way home! I don't need you! If you get hurt again, you can just help _yourself_!" The little Koopa took off down the dirt road in frustration. Bowser sat by and did nothing.

"Fine! We'll see how far you get without me!" Bowser shouted. "Don't come crawling back…because I won't be here for you!" The Koopa King aggressively splashed the water in frustration. He wasn't willing to chase after his son. He was convinced that Junior would have to learn for himself the sheer gravity of his mistake by not forcing the old star to bring them home. They were stuck here now and it was all his fault.

Bowser felt so betrayed just thinking about it. They may have been facing some hardships recently, but Bowser had not forgotten who he was for one second through all of it. He was loud, combative, and assertive. He had to be in order to get to where he was today. That's what it meant to be a king. Somewhere along the way, Bowser must've failed to teach that to his child.

How could Junior ever be an effective successor one day if he didn't have the same drive to take what he wanted no matter what? Who would ever follow a leader who takes "no" for an answer so easily? How was the son of the mighty and feared King Bowser growing up to be so soft? The Koopa King was convinced that if there was one good thing to come out of these horrible circumstances, it was that they would potentially toughen Junior up and turn him into a son that Bowser could be proud of….right?

The air grew cooler as the sun began to set over the rolling hills of green. Without the intense heat, evening was the ideal time to travel as far as Bowser was concerned. As he splashed the spring's water on his face one final time and scarfed down his last apple, Bowser prepared to depart from his mini paradise and embark on the open road ahead under moonlight. The land was a lot more pleasant and peaceful to wander through now that it was full of life. On top of that, Bowser was able to appreciate taking in the surroundings now that he didn't feel a constant burning sensation in his back. He was in much better shape for traveling now….and he had Junior to thank for that.

Immediately Bowser tried to think of something else; anything else. He didn't want to feel sorry for his actions again. Not this time. He did the right thing by scolding Junior this time…right? Kammy wasn't here to suggest otherwise. Nor was Bowser's wife intruding on his thoughts from beyond the grave to make him feel guilty. Kids made mistakes. So it was up to their parents to tell them right from wrong. Bowser was certain this was the case.

Junior made a mistake by not wishing the two of them home. So Bowser made sure he realized it. But it wasn't _his_ fault that his child couldn't handle the truth and ran off, was it? The harder Bowser thought about all of this, the unhappier it made him. Still…a part of him couldn't help but wonder where Junior had run off to. He had to focus on something else; anything else.

The Koopa King got his wish when he reached the end of the road. Now, a towering mountain stood in his way. The gigantic structure covered the landscape for miles in both directions so going around it wasn't an option. Had his son come through this way? He had to. The only way forward was to go through the mountain somehow. But where could he have gone from here? After some searching, Bowser found an entrance to a cave.

 _There has to be a way to the top through here_ , Bowser thought. _I'll have a better look at the land from up there_. The Koopa King tore a thick branch off of a nearby tree, lit it gently with his flame breath to create a torch, and entered the dark abyss. _There's no way Junior would've been brave enough to come in here alone without a light_ , Bowser commented. But if he wouldn't have been able to bring himself to go inside, why hadn't Bowser seen him huddled outside the cave crying or something? Just where did the little Koopa go? Bowser was starting to get worried about him, despite his earnest attempts to ignore it.

The cave started off as cramped and linear as could be, then opened up in scale far beyond anything Bowser had anticipated. The cave had become a tower-like structure with blue, luminescent crystals embedded into the walls from all sides. The largest one fixated in the dead center of the ceiling was bright enough to shine all the way down and illuminate the bottom level where the Koopa King was standing. From what he could observe, he would have to follow the winding slope all the way to the top to reach the exit he could just barely make out with his eyes. Simple enough.

However, the slope did not extend all the way down to the bottom floor where Bowser was. Instead, it cut off at a certain height as if a piece had been removed. Upon closer inspection, Bowser found a pile of rocks and rubble at the base of the wall. A small piece of burned wood was buried in there as well. Somehow a piece of the slope had broken off, and now Bowser would have to climb the rock wall up to the slope's new beginning before he could walk the rest of the way. The Koopa King was confident that this wouldn't be a problem. He had completed his fair share of rock climbing many times in his training days.

Bowser stomped out the fire on his torch, hopped up onto the wall, and dug his claws into the rough terrain to hold his place. There were small rocks protruding out all around, which Bowser planned to use to keep his footing as he climbed. The Koopa King was about halfway up the wall when one of the rocks under his foot gave out. Bowser panicked for a moment before finding another rock to rest his foot on. A few more rocks broke off as Bowser climbed. But the Koopa King was persistent. Finally, Bowser reached the top of the wall. He hoisted himself up onto the slope.

Suddenly, the fallen rocks danced around on the bottom level as the entire cave began to quake and tremor violently. Pieces from the ceiling began to break off. Between the quaking and the raining rocks, Bowser found it difficult to keep his balance on the curling stone incline. He witnessed the ground beneath him crack and eventually break. The Koopa King fell back down to the bottom of the cave. He sat up but before he could react, the rest of the rock slope broke apart and came crashing down from above. Bowser tried to crawl out of harm's way, but a giant stone falling from directly above was the last thing he saw before his entire world went black.


	10. Junior Alone

Junior kept on running. He could feel his breath getting short, but he couldn't slow down for even a moment's rest. He had to get out of there; get as far away and as quickly as possible. Sweat was running down his face and the sides of his shell. His bandanna was becoming damp from the moisture. Soon enough, his legs gave out and the little Koopa collapsed to the ground. He slowly picked himself up and dusted off the dirt. He couldn't turn around no matter what. Bowser had really done it this time and Junior was determined not to let it slide. He had to find a way home, and he had to do it without his father's help. As far as he was concerned, Bowser didn't _deserve_ to make it home.

The Koopa King had fought off the three golems and nearly got himself killed in the process. Junior saved his life with that cannonball at the last moment. But did he get any sort of acknowledgement from his father for such quick thinking? Of course not. Junior selflessly used his own wish to help his father. Yet all Bowser could've thought to do was yell at him for not wishing for the two of them to be home. Why had it never occurred to him that Junior had _tried_ to wish for that, but couldn't make it happen? Not once did he even bother to ask why. Just when Junior thought his father might actually change and stop scolding him for once, he falls right back into his old behavior. This was no different than when Bowser was yelling at him for not taking a bath, going to bed, or doing any of the other stuff.

Well, this was the final straw. If Junior could never do anything right in Bowser's eyes, he wouldn't have to worry about having a lousy son much longer. The little Koopa was determined to find his way back home without his father's help. If Bowser wanted him to be an evil king so badly, what better way than to steal the throne right out from under him? If Junior could make it back on his own and seize the position as king for himself, he could change everything. Junior could be the leader _he_ wanted to be, not the one Bowser wanted. If he wanted Junior to be assertive and take what he wanted so badly, what better way to finally earn some respect than taking the throne for himself? The little Koopa was practically trembling just thinking about it. But was it from excitement at the thought of finally earning his father's respect…or was it something else?

Deep in his gut, something about this plan just didn't feel right. As cold as he was, Bowser was still his father. He was the only parent Junior had left after his mother passed away. If he didn't love Bowser, who else did he have? The little Koopa realized that if he pushed his dad away for good…he would have no one. He would be all alone. Was earning his father's respect worth isolating himself from love altogether?

Junior _hated_ having to even think about making a decision like this! He stopped and stared at his tiny hands. He was a child. He had to be way too young to be thinking about becoming king already. Wasn't it a parent's job to handle all of the hard stuff until the kid was older? Well, perhaps Bowser really was just that terrible of a parent if Junior felt he had to think about all of the hard stuff himself. Whatever happened next, it was Bowser's fault. Of this, Junior was absolutely certain.

In the late afternoon, Junior reached the end of the dirt road and found himself standing in front of an incredibly tall mountain that seemed to pierce the sky. But where was he supposed to go from here? The mountain was incredibly vast and covered the land for miles in both directions so the little Koopa couldn't just go around it. But the thought of having to climb all the way up to the top with little solid ground to stand on in between made Junior's stomach do backflips. After a bit of walking, he discovered an entrance to a cave at the mountain's base. It had to lead somewhere. Despite some sunlight still remaining, the cave was incredibly dark and somewhat intimidating. He couldn't see a thing from the outside.

The thought of having to wander around in a pitch black cave alone terrified Junior. He was starting to have second thoughts about his solo journey. Maybe it would be better to wait until his father came through this way so they could travel together? Junior shook his head to ward off the idea. _No way_! Junior denied to himself. He made it clear that he was doing this on his own. He couldn't rely on Bowser anymore. Besides, what future king was afraid of a little cave? If he really wanted to be king that badly, Junior couldn't act like a baby anymore.

Junior reached up and tore off a small branch from a nearby tree. He remembered a trick Bowser once taught him about how to make a torch with his flame breath. Unfortunately, Junior was still young and his powers hadn't fully developed yet at his age. He had tried to breathe fire on multiple occasions in the past, but it always came out as tiny fireballs instead of a grand stream of heat like Bowser's. Now was as good a time as any to try again.

He stared intensely at the stick in his hand, took a deep breath, and tried to breathe fire. But nothing came out of his mouth. He tried two more times, but the result didn't change. Junior continued to breathe fire until he was out of breath. His desperation and frustration were reaching an all-time high. At that moment, he'd wished he were a grown-up Koopa more than ever before instead of being stuck in his helpless seven-year old body.

Junior threw his tree branch in frustration. It landed near a bush growing by the mountain's exterior. What caught Junior's attention though, was the berries growing on the shrub. The little Koopa heard his stomach grow loudly. He hadn't eaten anything since the apples from the night before and he'd burned up most of his energy just running here. He resolved to snack on the berries and try to regain some of his strength. The little Koopa scarfed down the berries in a hurry, but soon regretted that decision when he felt an uncomfortable sensation in his system.

His eyes practically lit up when he felt immense heat in his throat and he burped up a small stream of smoke. Piecing together what was happening, Junior quickly retrieved the tree branch he threw earlier just in time. He burped a small stream of fire, which lit the branch ablaze; thus creating the torch he'd been seeking. An unconventional way of doing things, but it would have to do. Junior wasn't sure why eating these particular berries helped him trigger his fire breath, but they could come in handy. The little Koopa snatched a handful of the berries from the plant and stored them in his shell for later. With torch in hand, Junior proceeded into the mountain's cave.

It wasn't long before the little Koopa reached a dead end in the cave's interior. He discovered a tall tower-like room with bright crystals lining the walls and a winding slope pathway that spiraled around several times; connecting to an exit high above. Junior approached the slope's beginning at the ground floor and prepared for an arduous walk up to the top.

However, not long after beginning his climb, Junior felt an intense tremor. He examined the ground in time to notice it beginning to crack and fall apart underneath him. Panicking, Junior picked up the pace and ran up the path before it vanished underneath him. The crack that was growing and racing after him quickly caught up before finally passing Junior. Just as the collapsing path reached him, the little Koopa leaped. He grabbed onto the edge of the stable ground before the falling rubble took him down with it. Junior struggled a little bit before finally managing to pull himself onto the slope. He looked back down.

A sizable amount of the path had crumbled behind him. There was no realistic way to get back down there safely even if he'd wanted to; no turning back now. The little Koopa was thankful to have jumped in time or else he probably would've been stuck down there, crushed under rocks. The torch he dropped was buried under the pathway's pieces as a boulder smothered the flame and put it out. He wasn't too distraught about losing his light source though since the crystals on the wall were shining bright enough for Junior to see the rest of the way up. Thus, his quest continued.

Junior reached the exit just as nightfall began. The violet night sky was decorated with thousands of stars, but this was no time to be mesmerized by their beauty. Junior climbed onto a small stalagmite nearby and could just barely make out a steady decline off the mountain, but it was pretty far off. He would still have to follow the winding pathway through the mountain top to reach it.

The little Koopa journeyed for several minutes until he felt sweat starting to run down the side of his head. The temperature was drastically rising. But how? The air was cool just a moment ago. As he continued walking, Junior soon realized that the mountain was housing a river of lava at its summit. The little Koopa kept his wits about him. As long as he stayed on the path in front of him, he was in no danger of falling in. He could practically ignore the river of lava entirely. Unfortunately, his luck ran out as he soon reached a dead-end. The lava river expanded into a full-on lake with no consistent solid ground to cross over it.

Just as Junior was pondering how to get across, the entire mountain began to tremble. Was this the same force that had caused the path in the cave to fall apart earlier? Suddenly, something emerged from the lava lake. A long, dragon-like serpent with eyes of fire rose from the depths and towered over Junior, who was now sitting horrified in its wake. The creature glared at him.

"Persistent little insect," said the lava serpent.

"…H-huh!?" Junior responded.

"You did not heed my warning. How dare you invade my mountain."

"Wait…that shaking earlier…that was _you_?" the little Koopa gather.

"It is my warning to all foolish creatures who dare to set foot in my domain," the serpent explained. "You are treading on forbidden grounds, insect. Leave now before I decide your fate."

"W-wait!" Junior cried. "I didn't want to come through here! But I didn't have any other choice. Please, I'm just trying to get home," he explained. The terror in the serpent's eyes did not fade.

"You continue to defy me. May you perish swiftly!" the creature roared. It whipped its tail in a circle around the mountain top as it caused rocks to break off and fall from above and stirred the lava. Junior jumped and ran to avoid the splashes and rubble. Pieces of the ground broke off and started to drift out onto the lava.

 _….That's it!_ Junior gathered. He could use those pieces of the ground to cross the lava. The little Koopa stood up and ran towards his new path. He jumped over to the first platform, but something grabbed him before he could land. The serpent had snatched Junior up by his bandanna around his neck and hoisted the little Koopa high into the air with its teeth. Desperate to get down somehow, Junior reached into his shell and pulled out the berries he'd been saving from earlier. He ate them quickly and waited for them to take effect in his stomach. Much to Junior's horror, nothing happened.

The lava serpent tossed Junior high up into the air and caught him with its tail just before he reached the liquid fire. Junior struggled but couldn't break free from the monster's grip.

"You would hardly make for a satisfying meal," the serpent commented. It carried Junior over to a hole in the upper ground above the lava, which had been created by one of the falling boulders. "Perish in obscure silence instead!" The serpent uncurled its tail and dropped Junior into the hole. The little Koopa collided against the sides of the thin chasm as he fell. He reached the bottom with a painful thud.

The little Koopa willed himself back into consciousness, but he was in enormous pain. His head was pounding and his legs ignored his attempts to move. His arm had gone completely numb. This was a familiar pain to him. Undoubtedly, his arm was broken again. Still, Junior found the will to get up. The little Koopa used a nearby rock to get his balance and steady himself. He looked straight up and saw a small piece of the night sky. The hole was uncovered. There was still a way out. Junior grabbed onto wall with his only good arm and attempted to climb out. But he immediately fell back down to the bottom. He sat up and tried again, but the result was the same. Junior's body got weaker with every attempt, but his mind refused to accept the truth. Junior couldn't get stuck down here. He had to get out somehow so he could find his way home.

As he hit the ground one last time, Junior finally lost the will to move.

"DAD!" Junior cried out. No response came back to him, not that he really expected one to. Junior was desperate to get help. "KAMMY!…LARRY!...MR. ELDSTAR!" Junior knew deep down that there was no one here who could hear him from the bottom of the hole. But his mind was desperate to convince itself otherwise. "….MOM!... _ANYBODY_! PLEASE….," Junior spoke as his voice gave out. "…..help…."

His vision grew blurry as his eyes watered. Alone at the bottom of this tiny chasm, deep within the heart of the mountain, Junior quietly began to cry.


	11. Memories - Second Fragment

**Author's Note:**

 _The following chapter is a series of flashbacks. It doesn't forward the immediate plot of Bowser and Junior's journey home. Instead, it sheds some light on events that happened prior to this story. You can skip this chapter if you really want to get back on the road with the Koopas right away, but you might be confused why certain characters think and act the way they do in a later chapter without getting this context first. Also, this chapter gives us a better look at a certain character we know little about thus far so I tried to make it worth your time! I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Bowser collapsed against the wall and sunk to the hallway floor after making it around the corner. He nursed the horrible gash in his side he received from one of the Rose Kingdom soldiers moments ago. The Koopa King kept his breathing steady.

"It's hopeless, you can't go on like this," said Dianne. "You'll never make it out of this alive." The woman applied a wet washcloth to Bowser's injury.

"I have to," Bowser argued. He winced when the cloth was pressed against his wound. "We've come this far already. I can't let Celia down." Dianne looked deeply into the red irises of Bowser's eyes. They were filled with an endless, burning determination. She was beginning to see what her best friend saw in this creature. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Celia. No injury in the world was too grave.

"Well, at least rest for a minute so I can make the bleeding stop," Dianne insisted. "The throne room is just around the corner and up the stairs. I'll get your wound bandaged up quickly, and then you can get to Celia." Bowser nodded. This was the second time all day he'd had a moment to think. The first had been earlier this very morning.

Bowser wasn't confident in the slightest that Celia's plan was going to work, as much as he wanted it to. It wasn't that he didn't believe in her. How could he not? The two had spent every day for the past two years together; preparing for this day. Her inspiring words had helped Bowser's confidence grow significantly from what it had been when the war first began. But now was the time to prove that this new strength of his was real and alive inside of him.

Celia suggested that the two of them return to the Rose Kingdom and convince Celia's parents to withdraw their troops. The pair would use their newfound friendship as proof that the Koopas would be willing to make peace. Coming alone without any other Koopa soldiers would hopefully come as a demonstration that Prince Bowser had no ulterior motives. Unfortunately, Bowser's doubts had turned out to have merit.

When Celia and Bowser arrived in the Rose Kingdom's capital, the king and queen deployed their remaining guards to kill Bowser on the spot under the assumption that he had invaded their city and brainwashed their daughter. Celia was captured and taken back to the castle to be placed under house arrest for sneaking off to war against her parent's wishes. Without his beloved by his side, it was up to Prince Bowser to summon his inner courage and fight back for his right to be with Princess Celia. He had to get to her and prove to the royal family that they were wrong about him.

Bowser fought through the royal soldier entourage by wounding them, but not killing a single one. He figured that murder would not help his proposal for peace in the slightest. Celia's best friend Dianne took notice of Bowser's merciful resistance, as did the rest of the Rose Kingdom's citizens. So, the denizens instigated a rebellion against the guards, allowing Bowser enough time to slip away and head for the castle. Dianne offered to assist him, explaining that her friendship with Celia ran deep.

"If Princess Celia trusts you enough to stand against her own family like this, you _have_ to be someone special," she explained. "I trust her judgement, so I'll help you get to her. I want to hear what you have to say." Bowser nodded, and the two had set out for the city's capital with a handful of guards still in pursuit.

Bowser let out a small groan as Dianne tightly wound a bandage around Bowser's shell and waist in order to cover up his injury. He was scolding himself for getting so careless. Thankfully, Dianne hadn't faced any injuries herself. Bowser was at least semi competent in combat. He expressed his gratitude to his lover's friend and bolted up the stairs to the throne room.

"Bowser!" Celia shouted from her father's side at the far end of the room.

"Not another step forward, beast!" the Rose King commanded.

"Or what?" Bowser barked back. "You gonna kill your own daughter?" The king hesitated. "I told you before, your highness. I'm not here to hurt anyone. Don't you think Celia would be dead already if I really cared about taking this place over?"

"You've surely placed her under some kind of spell, monster!" the queen interjected.

"That's not true!" Celia jumped in.

"Sorry, but magic was never my strong suit," Bowser clarified. He unclenched his fists. The king took notice of this. "It's my father you should be mad at, not me. He's the one who insists on making Koopas your enemy. The only thing I care about in this whole miserable world…." Bowser blushed as he finished his statement. "….is Celia." The queen gave her husband a blank stare. He was able to read her thoughts easily.

"Dear…" he began as he looked at Celia. "Is this true?" he asked. "Do you…feel the same for him?"

"Dad, I love Prince Bowser just as much as you love our people," Celia answered. "I know you don't want them to die in this war. Bowser doesn't want to kill them either. You can stop this," the woman reasoned.

"How? If I recall the troops, King Morton will most certainly consider it a surrender," said the king.

"It isn't," Celia responded. "Bowser and I are going to convince him to stop next. We want to end this whole thing peacefully"

"But my dad is probably a lot more stubborn than you," Bowser added. "We could use your support, your majesty." Bowser took one knee as a gesture of respect. The king sighed and closed his eyes to think. At that moment, the guards appeared and cornered Bowser with their weapons, anxiously awaiting their superior's orders to kill the Koopa Prince on the spot. The Rose Queen placed her hand gently to her husband's shoulder. All eyes in the room were on him.

"Prince…Bowser, was it?" the king began. Bowser nodded. "Out of love for my daughter, I will grant you this one opportunity," he declared. "Return to your kingdom and convince King Morton to recall his troops. Send word when you have accomplished this. If you are true to your word, I will bring my people home as well." Bowser agreed and stood up. He turned and prepared to exit. Dianne and the guards stood by and watched. At that moment, Celia ran over to the Koopa Prince's side.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. The king and queen were startled by her action. "I'm coming with you."

"Absolutely not!" the Rose King denied.

"Dad, Prince Bowser came here today, knowing full well that you would attack him; all in the name of fighting for his right to be with me," she explained. "I _have_ to be there to support him when his family will likely try the same thing." The king glared at Celia, but the determination in her eyes did not waver.

"Very well…," the king agreed. He looked to Bowser. "Bring my daughter back safely." Bowser gave the king his word on the matter, and the duo exited the throne room together. Their quest was not yet complete.

* * *

The response of the royal Koopa family was far more severe than Celia had expected. But Bowser wasn't surprised. Bowser had urged Celia to bring a sword with her for protection, and now she was glad she'd listened. King Morton accused his son of treason against the kingdom for escorting an enemy into their land; ignoring Celia's explanation of her kingdom's willingness to stand down peacefully. Prince Bowser fully anticipated that he would have to resort to violence to in order to get through to his father. But to everyone's surprise, especially King Morton's, none of the Koopa soldiers attacked when their king had commanded. Much like Dianne, they too had faith in their friend and refused to attack him, even at the risk of being executed.

Furious, King Morton emerged from his castle and confronted his child in the center of town. The glare he gave off horrified the entire city. But Bowser knew he couldn't let fear hold him back.

"How did my own child turn out to be so weak?" Morton asked.

"It's _you_ who's weak, Dad," Bowser argued. "You use fear to control people. That was the only way you could get anyone around here to listen to you. Heck, you used it against me my whole life. But now I'm done being afraid."

"Is that so?" Morton replied. "Then maybe I need to teach you _and_ this entire cursed kingdom how to show proper respect to the crown!" he roared.

"You're not fit to wear it anymore!" Bowser shouted back. Celia unsheathed her sword as she stood at Bowser's side. The Koopa Prince knew what had to be done next. Having Celia there with him was the only way he could've imagined being brave enough to take the chance. "That's why I challenge you to a duel for the throne!" Bowser declared. King Morton laughed maniacally at the proposal.

"A royal duel is only meant for two equal knights!" he argued. "You, my poor, delusional son, are _far_ from being my equal!"

"It doesn't matter!" a voice called out from the crowd. Emerging from the audience was the Koopa Queen. "It was established long ago in our kingdom's history that the prince may challenge the king to a duel as long as he can demonstrate bravery and commendable skill in the contest," she argued. The Koopa King was horrified to see his own wife coming to their child's defense against him when she had never done so before. His fearful tactics were no longer controlling her either. "If you have even an _ounce_ of dignity left, you will accept our son's challenge, Morton."

"Never!" Morton refused. "I'll put an end to your worthless existence right now!" With no warning, King Morton charged directly towards King Bowser. Celia stepped forward to meet his challenge. However, she hadn't realized that he had been counting on her to do this. Morton grabbed the sword with his bare hand. It cut deeply as blood began to run down the king's arm. But he was completely unfazed by the injury.

He yanked the sword out from Celia's hand and swung it viciously at her. The princess fell to the ground, nursing a broad cut across her chest. Horrified, Bowser aggressively retaliated. He threw a straight punch at the king with all of his might and sent his father hurdling backwards onto the ground a few feet away. Then he quickly returned to Celia's side.

"Celia!" he cried out. She delicately held his hand.

"I'm alright," she responded. "Don't worry about me. Just do what needs to be done."

"No, I won't leave you like this!" Bowser exclaimed. I-,"

"Bowser," his mother spoke as she approached them. "I'll watch over her. Now go," she commanded. Hesitating slightly, Bowser agreed and stood back up to face his father; a newfound hatred burning inside of him. King Morton stood up as well and tossed Celia's sword aside.

"Very well…," the king began menacingly. "I accept your challenge. Consider this your final chance to prove to me that you aren't such a failure after all!" he roared. King Morton and Prince Bowser charged at one another as the entire Koopa Kingdom watched in awe. The future of the royal family was about to change after this battle.

Bowser blocked his father's fists, but hadn't anticipated their sheer strength. His guard had been penetrated, and Morton wailed on him with punch after powerful punch. Bowser managed to get in a few clean hits of his own, but he was sent flying backwards to the ground after receiving an uppercut to the chin. The Koopa Prince splashed in the mud as he landed.

Morton jumped into the air and was preparing to crush Bowser's head under his fists as they rocketed down towards him from above. Bowser caught the fists with his hands just before they connected with his face. As the rest of Morton's body came down, Bowser extended his legs straight up and pushed Morton back off of him before he could overpower his son. The Koopa King fell into the mud nearby. The two combatants each got back up and raced towards one another to continue their battle.

Morton resolved to change his strategy slightly. He made smart use of his claws as opposed to his fists. This allowed him to attack more quickly without expending as much energy with each attack. Bowser dodged the razor sharp swipes, but still took a fair share of scratches and cuts in the process. Morton may have been able to get in more attacks at once, but once his energy had depleted, he left himself wide open for Bowser to counterattack.

Bowser capitalized on this opportunity to the fullest. He delivered jab after consecutive jab. He could feel his confidence growing with each successful hit, which only motivated him to hit even harder. King Morton grew wise to the repetitive punches. But before he could counter, Bowser delivered a vengeful kick directly to his father's chest and sent the king tumbling back to the ground. As the rain poured on, both King Morton and Prince Bowser could feel themselves slowing down. They were each starting to run low on stamina and their injuries were starting to take effect. They had to end this soon before one of them collapsed from exhaustion. If that happened, the other would finish his opponent easily with little resistance.

Standing at a distance, Bowser and Morton each took a deep breath. They simultaneously unleashed their flame breaths and clashed. The heat was too immense to be stopped by the rain. Neither combatant was willing to let up. The loser of this clash would take the full effect of the burns and would come dangerously close to losing. The two Koopas could only exhale for so long. Each of them pushed their lungs to the absolute limit. Despite the longest clash of flame breaths that the citizens had ever seen, Morton's breath eventually gave out. He was immediately engulfed in his son's fire. The burns were too painful, and the king fell back onto his shell.

Gasping for breath, Bowser stood still for a moment. Once he'd recovered, Bowser strolled over to the side of the arena where Celia's sword was laying. The Koopa Prince scooped up the blade in one claw and approached Morton. He knew his father was too weak to get up, so he'd had plenty of time to retrieve the blade. The time had come to end this duel.

With a terrible hatred burning in his eyes, Bowser gritted his teeth and lifted the sword with both hands high into the air above Morton's chest.

"You…," said Morton between coughs. "You think you're superior to me. But in truth…you're just as vicious…" Bowser shook his head.

"There's a difference between you and me, Dad," Bowser replied. "You always fought for yourself." Bowser gripped the sword tightly in his claws. His mother looked away as she anticipated the moment of truth. " _I_ fight for the people I love!" Bowser thrust the sword down into Morton's chest with as all of his anger, pain, and courage gave speed to the blade. Morton coughed up blood upon taking the impact. His limbs collapsed and fell motionless as the light faded from the Koopa King's eyes. The duel was over. As the rain stopped, the Koopa Kingdom sat still and waited for their new champion to do something.

Bowser turned on his heels and slowly approached Celia. He cradled her hand delicately in his claws. Bowser's mother hand been tending to her wound during the fight. Celia's eyes met Bowser's.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I should be asking _you_ that," she answered with a small laugh. "You look like hell." Bowser smiled and chuckled. If she was still able to talk tough, surely her wound wasn't fatal in the slightest.

"Who cares as long as I won, right?" Bowser asked confidently.

"Yeah," Celia confirmed. "I guess you _can_ stand up for yourself after all," she joked playfully. The two exchanged a kiss as the sun pierced through the clouds and brought light to a kingdom on the verge of great change.

* * *

With Morton gone, Bowser took his place on the throne as the new Koopa King. His first order was to withdraw the troops from the frontlines and send word to the Rose Kingdom of his efforts. They were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt going forward that their daughter's mysterious new friend could be trusted. The Rose Kingdom soldiers returned home and the war had ended. Bowser and Celia worked together to build a trust between the two kingdoms as they mourned for each other's casualties and helped one another recover. Three months later, the Koopa and Rose kingdom were united as Bowser married Celia and brought their people into a new era of peace.

Bowser had later received rumblings of a new kingdom expanding nearby. Allegedly, they were a race of mushroom people. But the Koopa King didn't perceive them as a threat and was in no immediate hurry to pick a fight and repeat his father's actions. Instead, he had other plans in mind. After some time in their marriage had passed, Celia approached her husband one day with news that excited her more than Bowser had ever seen of her before.

"Bowser…," she spoke as she composed herself with a persistent smile on her face. "I'm pregnant."


	12. Memories- Third Fragment

**Author's Note:**

 _Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted any new chapters in a little while. I know you probably got used to seeing one every day. I didn't mean to suddenly stop updating out of the blue, but I started an internship for the summer and things just got really busy for me all of a sudden. I plan to continue writing and get the rest of the chapters out as soon as I finish them with the time I have in between. I hope I won't have to keep you waiting too much longer!_

 _Fun fact, I was originally going to write only three "Memories" chapters and I did a lot of skipping in them because I wanted to only cover specific key moments from the past that highlighted things like Bowser's relationship with his father Morton, the war with the Rose Kingdom, how Bowser met Celia, and how Bowser became king and married Celia. I wasn't sure at first if people would like these chapters as much or if they would want more time focused on Bowser and Junior in present day, so I didn't want these chapters to drag on too long if that was the case. However, readers have expressed that they want to see more of Bowser and Celia so I decided to do an additional "Memories" chapter. Therefore, there will be four "Memories" chapters in total (meaning one more after this). Thank you so much for all of your support, everyone! I hope you enjoy!_

 _The following chapter is a series of flashbacks. It doesn't forward the immediate plot of Bowser and Junior's journey home. Instead, it sheds some light on events that happened prior to this story. You can skip this chapter if you really want to get back on the road with the Koopas right away, but you might be confused why certain characters think and act the way they do in a later chapter without getting this context first._

* * *

"Bowser…," Celia began one evening while the two of them were alone in their secret meeting spot. The Koopa Prince looked to her from across the fire. "Did you leave anyone…special behind when you left home?"

"Special?" Bowser repeated, slightly puzzled.

"You know, someone you really care about," she clarified.

"Other than my mom, maybe? No, not really."

"So there wasn't…a girl?"

"Well, there were plenty of female Koopas….Oh…" Bowser's eyes widened. "You mean like…a girlfriend?" Celia nodded, blushing.

"No," Bowser answered. "I told you, I never really connected with anyone. Until I met you…" The two sat in awkward silence for a moment; afraid to let their eyes meet. "Why? Did _you_ have a boyfriend?" Bowser asked.

"None that I chose," Celia answered.

"What do you mean?"

"My parents have been trying to match me up with all sorts of guys for the past several years. They figure if I marry one of them, his kingdom would ally with mine and help us in the war against…you," Celia described. She rubbed her forearm in a shameful manner.

"So…you _did_ have a boyfriend," Bowser commented. "I see…" Celia shot her head up to look at Bowser.

"Nothing ever came of any of that," she argued. "I swear." The Koopa Prince didn't say anything. She knew he wasn't convinced. "My parents only cared about what _they_ wanted; not what I did. They were willing to force me into a life I never asked for just for the sake of the Rose Kingdom's future. You might have a good reason to resent your father, Bowser. But you're not the only one to feel that way..." Bowser twiddled his claws sheepishly. Deep down, he hadn't meant to jump to such a conclusion.

"Celia, I…"

"Bowser, listen," Celia interrupted. "I know I'm always giving you a hard time about your confidence issues…" She shut her eyes. "But I need you to understand. You're different from any other guy I've ever met. You actually have a heart. So I don't mess with you just for the sake of it. I do it because I want you to be strong enough to stand beside me when the world says we can't be together…" Bowser got up as Celia spoke. He walked around the fire and sat down next to her, but Celia hadn't noticed. "But I realized that I don't want you to change because…then you might not be the guy I'm in love with anymore." When the Rose Princess opened her eyes, she froze when she saw Bowser's face inches away from her own; his intense red retinas staring into her's. He gripped her delicate hand.

"I'll get stronger if that's what it takes for us to stay together," the Koopa Prince responded. "But that doesn't mean everything about me will change." The silence spoke for Celia in the moment. "You have to promise me that you won't change either." The princess smiled. When no further words were necessary, the two embraced and shared a kiss that would seal their destinies together into one.

* * *

Celia took a seat on the rock and folded her arms as she watched the ocean waves crash upon the shore once again. But this did little to help her patience. Bowser was running late to their meeting. She caught the sound of his stomping footsteps and turned around before he could greet her.

"What took you so long?" she asked. Bowser sighed.

"Celia…we can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" she asked.

"You know, meeting like this. I've been sneaking off every night to see you for a year now," Bowser explained. "My boys are bound to find out about this eventually."

"So why don't you just tell them then?"

"Why don't you tell _your_ people?" the Koopa Prince countered. Celia didn't have a response. "See? I knew it. You're scared of what they'll think too."

"That's because I need to know I have your back in case they don't believe me."

"You do," Bowser corrected.

"Really? From where I'm standing, not much has changed about you since we first met. You're still too much of a coward to stand up for yourself. You still lack any real confidence," Celia described. Bowser's tail curled up. She knew it always did that whenever Bowser was nervous or ashamed.

"If you had to grow up with _my_ father, you'd understand why this is so hard for me."

"Well, I didn't, so maybe I can't. But I still want to help." Bowser looked away.

"Yeah well…you have a pretty twisted way of showing it sometimes, you know…" Celia approached Bowser and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I love you, Bowser. You're unlike any Koopa I've ever met," she explained. "You have a sensitive side that I just can't stand to be without. I've told you all of this before." The Rose Princess retracted her arms. "But we'll never be together for good unless we can stand our ground and put an end to this stupid war." Bowser gently stroked his claw to her cheek as their eyes met.

"I know that. But you're too precious to me, Celia," the Koopa King objected. "I can't risk losing you."

"Then we still have some work to do," she declared. Bowser looked at her, confused.

"We do?"

"Yes. We need to boost your confidence up even higher until you can stand with me in spite of that fear." Celia stepped away and looked back at the ocean. She put her hands on her hips and turned her head to look back at Bowser. "Let's build a house out here."

"Huh?" Bowser asked. She walked back towards him.

"I'm tired of sitting on these rocks all the time, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna stand out in the open during another rainstorm again like we did last week," Celia explained. "I want to keep seeing you. And I know you want to continue seeing me even though you're afraid someone will find out. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But for now, we could at least be a little more comfortable out here, don't you think?" The Koopa King nodded his head in agreement, even though her previous statement still confused him.

"Sure, but…a house?"

"There's plenty of material we can use out here for construction, and the location is gorgeous. So let's make a place to come home to; just the two of us." Her hand tenderly caressed Bowser's chin. "If the manual labor doesn't mold you into a better Koopa, nothing will. Besides, it'll take some time to finish between just the two of us. Plenty of reason for you to keep coming back for our visits, right?" Celia punctuated her proposal with a kiss to Bowser's cheek. He blushed, then quickly tried to shake it off in order to replace it with a confident smirk.

"Alright, lead the way," he agreed.

Making smart use of mud, rocks, and trees, Bowser and Celia were able to construct a solid foundation for their home in a few weeks' time. Each week, they focused on a new part of the house. They constructed a bedroom, bath, kitchen, and dining room. Bowser and Celia each gradually stole supplies from their camps to fill their new home with makeshift appliances and furniture. The pair were convinced that the land they had chosen to build upon was destiny as they struck a source of water deep in the ground early on and were able to channel it and bring running water into the house. On the cooler nights of summer, they would work through the night; sleeping and working in shifts. They would explain their exhaustion to their troops as the result of staying up too late on patrol duty. By the time monsoon season rolled around, Bowser and Celia were relieved to find that their house's foundation had dried and hardened enough to withstand even the hardest of rainstorms. They were proud of their craftsmanship since they had constructed a house that was bound to last a lifetime. One year later, their secret home, secluded by the forest on one side and ocean on the other, was finally complete.

* * *

Unfortunately, Bowser's earlier concerns had merit. Not long after the home was complete, the Koopa army grew suspicious of their disappearing supplies and consistently absent leader. His secret meeting location with Celia was discovered. But to the Rose Princess's surprise, Bowser finally stood his ground. He told his comrades of how his relationship with Celia prospered in such a short amount of time, as well as how strongly he believed that peace between the two kingdoms could be achieved. Lucky for Bowser, the Koopa army was not nearly as stubborn or argumentative as King Morton. They were relieved to learn that they wouldn't have to fight anymore and that they could all go home soon.

A similar sentiment was shared with the Rose Kingdom soldiers when Celia decided to come clean about her behavior as well to them. The two armies may have reached a truce, but their monarchies back home were still under the assumption that nothing had changed. Celia felt more confident about confronting her home about the new developments knowing Bowser was now willing to support her.

"So, tomorrow's the big day, huh?" she asked as she was relaxing in front of the living room's fire pit. Bowser tossed another log onto the fire and laid down next to her.

"Yep. I just got word from your troops too. Everyone's all packed and ready to go. Tomorrow, we make our way to the Rose Kingdom…," the Koopa Prince described. Celia placed her hand on Bowser's chest as the two curled up closely to one another.

"I'm gonna miss this place...," she confessed. "It really does feel like home."

"Yeah, it does," Bowser agreed. He turned to look at Celia. "But that doesn't mean we can't ever come back here. Especially if we ever need to be alone." The pair smiled and shared a sigh of relief.

"I love the new,confident you. I'd say you're finally ready to meet my folks," she commented with a chuckle.

"You think so?" Celia nodded.

"You've grown into much more of a man now from what you were like when we first met two years ago. You've really come out of your shell."

"Was that a turtle joke?"

"Maybe!" the princess teased. Bowser smiled at her. They kissed and returned their view to the glow of the fire.

"I sure hope I can bring you home afterwards," said Bowser. "I've seen your beautiful face so many times now that any day of my life without it from now on just wouldn't be right."

"You will," Celia replied. "We'll make it through all of this together." She gripped Bowser's claw. "I have faith. I know you do too."

"You're right," Bowser confirmed. The two shared yet another kiss. As the night wore on and the fire died when it ran out of wood to burn, Bowser and Celia gradually drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. Their hearts were united; their destinies intertwined. Tomorrow, they would prove this to the world.


	13. The Weakest State

Bowser dug his claws deep into the ground. He coughed at the dust that was stirring in the air with all of his aggressive struggling. His efforts seemed to be in vain, but Bowser was too stubborn to give up. The harder he pushed himself, the harder the tremendous weight of rocks squeezed his shell. The Koopa King tugged with all of his might, but he just couldn't break free. He was buried under too much weight; outclassed in strength without question. Still, he refused to accept reality.

Bowser was stuck under the rocks and he just couldn't pull himself out. His claws may have been free and pulling, but the rest of him just wasn't coming. He couldn't rotate himself around from underneath in order to push the rock up and escape either. His shell was sandwiched between a large boulder in the ground. If he disrupted the distribution of weight in any way, he risked getting crushed even further as more rocks shifted and fell in reaction.

Sand poured down from the rubble above. It sprinkled in his messy orange hair, rolled down his face and stung his eyes to the point of spawning tears. Bowser was glad that he could've easily used the sting of the sand as an excuse to hide the fact that for the first time in many years, Bowser was crying. The pain he was in was greater than anything he had ever experienced before; even more than on this journey alone. His breathing was gradually getting weaker as his lungs were crushed and filling up with dust. But the Koopa King was no stranger to pain. This wasn't the reason he was crying. It was the thoughts that were swirling in his mind that were destroying him.

Bowser was trapped in this mountain and was probably going to die here. No one was coming for him. Who would after all he's done? He was never going to make it back to the Mushroom Kingdom; he was never going to see home again. The Koopa Kingdom would soon be without a king and none of his subjects would ever know how it happened. Could it all still go on without him? Would the empire that his family had built up for generations soon become extinct? Would the Mushroom Kingdom remain forever out of his grasp?

Images stirred in Bowser's head; ones of the Mushroom Kingdom denizens celebrating the fact that Bowser was gone forever; mocking his failure. The cheerful grins of Mario and Luigi were the most infuriating of all. After all this time; after countless battles, their most recent match was ultimately their last. Mario had won. When it came to confronting the plumber, Bowser was an utter failure. He'd lost so many times that many spirits would've been broken long ago. Now his was breaking too.

From the bottom of the mountain, Bowser would never see Princess Peach again. He would never get to gaze upon her sheer beauty; her sparkling baby blue eyes; her long, golden silk strands of hair. He would never again hear the laughter in her innocent voice that made birds chirp and hearts flutter. Now, she would only exist as a memory within Bowser's delusional fantasy. She would never be his. Celia was and always would be Bowser's ultimate love. But he'd only pursued Peach so much because he was thinking about his kingdom, not himself. Now, the Koopa Kingdom would never have a queen. The void left by Celia would forever remain. Junior would never have someone to call Mom.

Junior…..that was the most painful realization of all.

Bowser's child was still out there somewhere; lost and all alone. How was he ever going to find his way home? Was he already buried somewhere too in this hell of a place? The tears flowed as Bowser thought of him. His heart was breaking more and more with every whimper. The fate of Bowser Jr would probably go down in history as Bowser's greatest regret. That child deserved better; so much better. All of the awful things Bowser had ever told Junior came flooding back at once to bear down on his memory, just as the rocks did to his body. All of the yelling and emotional abuse from the days before this nightmare began; his cowardly hesitation to save Junior back on that platform all because Bowser was too stubborn to accept the fact that Mario had won and wasn't worth pursuing.

Then of course, there was how he ended up all alone now. Bowser yelled at him for _saving his life_. Why? Why….why…. _why_? Why was Bowser so blind and ignorant? How could he have been so stupid? It was Junior who was given the wish, not Bowser. What right did he have to yell at his son for whatever the little Koopa wished for? Junior even tried to explain why he couldn't just wish for the stars to return them home. Why couldn't Bowser have just let him finish? Why couldn't he have at least _tried_ to understand?

Junior could've made a selfish wish after that. He could've wished for something stupid like a mountain of cookies or video games. But he didn't. Junior wished for Bowser to be healed because he loved his miserable excuse for a father that much and he needed him. How did Bowser repay such a selfless act? By yelling at him yet again for not being a despicable tyrant. Now Junior hated him again, probably forever this time.

He had broken his promise to Celia. He could never protect and care for Junior now. The little Koopa probably wouldn't want him to. Bowser really was a failure after all. The one thing his beloved urged him to do with the last of her life, he'd failed to do it. There was no changing that. Bowser's entire life had been for nothing, Junior's life would probably amount to no better, and the Koopa King would die alone in the darkness to be quickly forgotten.

 _I hope you're happy now_ … a voice echoed in the cave. Bowser injected his neck with whatever adrenaline he had left to look up. A ghostly blue manifestation stood over him. He couldn't believe it.

"….Dad…?" Bowser spoke in a low, gruff, broken voice. It was indeed the spirit of the late King Morton Koopa Sr. whom was standing in his presence.

 _You got what you wanted, right_? _The fairy tale ending?_ Morton asked. _This is everything you'd hoped for, isn't it?_ Bowser didn't answer right away. What could he possibly say? _You betrayed your own family, fell in love with that vile human girl, and now my kingdom is on the verge of collapse under your weak, pathetic rule._

"I tried, Dad…," Bowser replied as he continued to cry.

 _You always were a failure_ , said Morton. _I knew from the day you were born that you would never amount to anything. You had too much purity in your eyes. You never had the drive to achieve any real strength_ , the king described.

"I wanted to be good enough…"

 _You were just as bad as your mother. Your emotions were always too important to you. They stood in the way of any potential you could've ever had. You never understood what the life of a Koopa was truly about._

"I wanted to make you proud…," Bowser argued as he whimpered. "….With my own power…"

 _I asked you to fight, and you ran. I commanded you to stand your ground, and you crumbled. I urged you to roar, and you cried. Why were you born a Koopa at all?_

"I needed you…to understand, Papa…." Bowser defended. "I needed you…..to love me….."

 _I could never love a son who couldn't amount to anything. I did everything I could to toughen you up, but there was just nothing inside you; no fire at all…._

"Papa….please…..," Bowser begged.

 _This is how you repaid me? You stabbed me in the back. Our kingdom became soft…a shell of its former self. I told you those damn humans were no good. But you refused to listen to me. So you ran off with one of them. Now look where that got you. She abandoned you._

"That's….not…..true….."

 _Isn't it? She blinded you. She made you forget what true strength is. Now our homeland's army is pathetically weak. I've been watching all this time, you know. I've seen what you've done._ Morton described. _You can't kill that one, single human. You know who I'm talking about. If you were half the son I wanted you to be, this Mario character would've died by your claw ages ago._ Bowser coughed and tried to speak up, but no words came out. _But now you're a laughing stock. Our ancestors mock you. But this is what you achieved with your own strength, isn't it? Are you proud to drag our family's name through the dirt?_

"….S-stop…."

 _It's too late to act tough, Bowser. It's been too late for so many years. You've tried to act vile and mean and threatening to those mushroom cowards, but it doesn't change anything._

"….Stop….." Bowser spoke a little louder this time.

 _If there's anything you did right, anything at all, it's how you handled my grandson._ Bowser's eyes widened and he clenched his fists. _At least you got the message through to him that there's no place in our family for weakness._

"…Shut up….."

 _You were right about one thing. We Koopas take what we want, no matter what. You were right to believe that Junior should've forced that stupid star to grant the wish you wanted. But my grandson failed, just like his father._ Bowser gritted his teeth. _You were right to let him run off. Maybe, by some miracle, this cruel world will make him grow up through suffering. It'll make him into the Koopa I needed you to be. Maybe there's still hope for the Koopa Kingdom after all._

"I said…..shut… _UP_!" Bowser exclaimed.

 _You thought you were so much better than me with your pathetic idea of strength._ Morton smirked devilishly at Bowser. _But in the end, you proved that you're just as cruel as me after all. I guess you deserve some credit for that._ Furious, Bowser blew a stream of fire out towards the apparition. It dissipated without having any real effect. Thankfully though, it appeared to be gone.

Bowser entered a dreadful coughing fit. That one fire breath depleted an immense amount of oxygen from his lungs. He was running low again. It was only getting harder to breathe from under the rocks. But at least now, Bowser was alone.

* * *

Bowser's castle had grown into a somber, lonely place in the past two days. The morale was at its lowest. The air was filled with a dreadful, unspoken mourning. Training rooms were empty as the Koopatrols and Hammer Bros were too distraught over their missing king to practice. The Magikoopas struggled to find ways to pass the time, polishing their wands in solitude. The Paratroopas and Lakitus moped at their perches instead of flying through the sky.

Larry Koopa wandered the halls aimlessly. His tall, blue hair drooped, and his eyes monitored his feet, which were landing on the rug in rhythmic steps. Larry passed Junior's empty room for the umpteenth time that evening. He tried to resist the urge, but quickly gave in. Larry wandered inside even though he knew the little Koopa wasn't there. Somehow deep down, he was hoping he'd be wrong. Larry wanted to believe he could turn the knob, open the door, and be surprised to find the little rascal inside playing with one of his toys as if he'd suddenly returned home somehow without anyone noticing. But he was wrong.

His baby brother wasn't here.

The room was a mess, as any seven year-old boy's room was. Toys were scattered across the floor like a minefield for the feet of the unsuspecting. The bed's blankets were in shambles despite King Bowser repeatedly telling him to make his bed when he gets up in the morning. The room was freezing since the window was open all day and the cool air from outside was running rampant. The blue-haired Koopaling noticed a pile of broken pieces of something over in the corner. He wasn't sure what that originally was, when it had broken, or how. Larry sighed.

 _Why did I let him go off on his own_? Larry asked himself. _I should've stopped him_. _Maybe then he'd still be here_. But the reality was that he wasn't. Junior was missing, as was King Bowser. The castle had grown bleak and depressing without the two of them. It was bad enough that their leader was gone. But with his successor missing too, there was no one to take the throne. The Koopa Kingdom was defenseless and lost without a leader.

Larry returned to the main hall of the castle and nearly bumped into Roy.

"Hey, watch it, Larry!" Roy warned. He was carrying a large box.

"What's going on, Roy?" Larry asked.

"Haven't you heard? We gotta get the new king settled in!" Roy explained. Larry stared at him, confused.

"New king…? What're you talking about?" His eyes widened and he gasped. "Wait…did Junior come back!? Where's King Bowser!?" Larry jerked his head around as he searched around the room aimlessly.

"I suggest you make yourself useful and grab one of the boxes from the other room," a voice instructed from behind. Larry turned to see it was Ludwig, wearing an eerily composed smirk on his face.

"Ludwig? What's happening here?"

"We're moving on," Ludwig answered. " _That's_ what's happening." Larry continued to stare at Ludwig, dumbfounded. The latter sighed as he realized he would have to elaborate. "King Bowser is gone. He has been for two days now. It should be clear to you by now as it is to everyone else, that he is never coming back," Ludwig explained. "We can't just sit here twiddling our claws in the meantime. The people of the Koopa Kingdom need a leader, and that is exactly what I intend to give them."

"You…?" Larry repeated. "Ludwig, you're not the king. Bowser's explained that a dozen times already," he argued. "We don't know that Bowser's never coming back. But even if he isn't, Junior would still be king before any of us since he's Bowser's actual son."

"True, but do you see young Prince Junior frolicking around these halls anywhere?" Ludwig contested. "I don't. Kammy reported that both Lord Bowser and Prince Junior fell to their fiery doom. The royal bloodline has ended," he explained. "Since we're Second-in-command, one of _us_ is needed to rise to the occasion. Honestly, it just makes sense for me to be the one to be king out of all of us. I'm the only one around here with any real common sense." Larry glared at him. "As your new king, I suggest you cease your childish moping, grab a box, and make yourself productive like everyone else before I make that suggestion an order." Larry let his anger go. Ludwig wasn't worth it. Not yet anyway. Feeling defeated, Larry turned and began to walk away.

"Larry, you stop _right_ there, child!" another voice exclaimed. Kammy Koopa entered the room. She pointed her wand at Ludwig. "Ludwig, I've heard more than enough of your nonsense! You are _not_ the king yet and I will turn you into a Goomba if you keep spreading such lies!"

"But…Kammy…," Ludwig defended sheepishly.

"Silence! _I_ am appointed Second-in-command in Lord Bowser's absence. Not you. That was established years ago and you know that well, child." She raised her wand into the air as it began to glow. "All of you drop what you're doing and listen well!" she commanded. All of the Koopalings froze and looked at the elderly Koopa witch. "Lord Bowser and Prince Junior may have been gone for two days now, but they are still your superiors and you will treat them with respect! It was established in the Koopa monarchy centuries ago that in the event of the king or queen's absence, the successor cannot seize the throne until the king or queen has been absent for a minimum of ten days, or has been confirmed to be dead," Kammy explained.

"But…," Ludwig interrupted again. Kammy aimed her wand at him once more.

"I'm not finished yet!" she roared. "You are Lord Bowser's elite commanding generals. You will serve him until we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has permanently left us. Your service to him does _not_ end in his immediate absence!" she described. "Now I want all of you to drop what you're doing, ready a battle ship, and prepare for departure. We will use the remaining eight days to search for Bowser and Junior, and we will not abandon our search until either our time is up, or they are found and officially pronounced dead! Do I make myself clear!?" She held her wand like a cane and stomped the end of it to the ground in an assertive gesture.

"Yes, ma'am!" the Koopalings responded in unison. They scrambled out of the hall to prepare the supplies for their trip. Larry was about to follow suit, but stopped when he saw Kammy standing alone in the room, looking distraught.

"Do you really think they're still alive?" Larry asked. She turned and faced him.

"I don't know, Larry," Kammy confessed. "But Lord Bowser is no stranger to lava. That's never been enough to put him down for good in the past. I won't believe he's dead until we find his body. Besides, Prince Junior is still a child and I miss the poor dear terribly. If there's even the slightest chance to end his suffering and bring him home, I will take it for the sake of honoring his mother's wishes." Larry nodded in understanding.

Somehow, she could tell that Larry missed Junior just as much, even if he didn't say it. She'd always seen how Larry bonded with Junior as if they were brothers, even though they technically weren't. The little Koopa needed someone in his life to watch over him after his mother passed away. Bowser meant well, but he was cold and distant at times. Kammy knew that Junior needed someone he felt more immediately at home with, and she was grateful that Larry had instinctively stepped up to that role over the years.

"I think he's still out there somewhere," said Larry. "And I don't wanna give up until I know what really happened to them." Kammy smiled and placed a hand on Larry's shoulder.

"Neither do I, dear," Kammy agreed. She motioned for the two of them to get going as they had preparations to tend to before they could depart. But she stopped Larry just before he left her sight. "Between you and me," she spoke. Larry looked back at Kammy. "I think you would make for the most fitting successor to Prince Junior someday. You have the same amount of love in your heart." Larry smiled at the sentiment, then turned to walk away.


	14. Memories - Final Fragment

**Author's Note:**

 _The following chapter is a series of flashbacks. It doesn't forward the immediate plot of Bowser and Junior's journey home. Instead, it sheds some light on events that happened prior to this story. You can skip this chapter if you really want to get back on the road with the Koopas right away, but you might be confused why certain characters think and act the way they do in a later chapter without getting this context first._

 _This is the final Memories chapter. It's the longest one by far, but it was probably my favorite to write! I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Bowser stared blankly at Celia as his mind tried to process what she had just told him. Celia frowned.

"Uhh…Bowser? Did you hear what I said...?" she inquired. The Koopa King quickly changed his expression when he noticed the concern on his wife's face.

"Yeah!...That's great!" Bowser responded. "Uhh…that is a _good_ thing…right?" Celia's expression grew more puzzled at this.

"Yes, of course it is," Celia confirmed. "You do know what 'pregnant' means, don't you?"

"Uhh…let's pretend that I don't," Bowser suggested awkwardly. He reached over to the table nearby, picked up his glass of water, and took a sip to distract himself. Celia was feeling a bit put off by her husband all of a sudden. She hadn't seen Bowser act like this in a while.

"It means I'm going to have a baby," she explained. Bowser spat out his water.

"REALLY!?" he exclaimed in shock. Celia nodded calmly.

"What did you _think_ it meant?"

"Nothing…we Koopas don't really call it that," Bowser clarified.

"What do you call it then?"

"Just…having a baby…" Celia folded her hands in her lap and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Bowser asked with concern.

"I just thought you'd be more excited about this…," Celia replied with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Bowser wrapped his claws around her hands.

"Oh, sweetie…I am!" the Koopa King corrected. "It's just…I know we've been _talking_ about having a baby for a while now. But I didn't think we'd _actually_ be having one this soon. I mean…how did this even happen!? I-,"

"Don't worry about that. But, why do you sound like you're just being 'fake excited' for me?" Celia inquired. "Tell me what's really bothering you." Bowser sighed. He couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Look, this is really embarrassing. But you're my wife. I trust you more than anyone else so…don't laugh." Celia promised not to, but she was growing more concerned with every response she got. "I'm…scared about having a baby," he confessed. Celia chuckled at that. "Hey, you promised!"

"Sorry," she apologized. "But you know that _I'm_ the one who's actually having it. You get the easy part of just waiting for it to show up."

"I know…"

"So why have you been sweating bullets ever since I first said the word 'baby' then?"

"It's just…I've only ever heard about what a baby is like from my mom when I asked her about them the other day. She told me what _I_ was like as a baby," Bowser explained.

"And?"

"Well, babies are so…weird! All they do is cry and poop and spit up and make weird noises and…" Bowser rambled. Celia laughed pretty hard upon hearing this. "It's not funny! This kid is coming into our lives and I don't know the first thing about raising it!" Celia smiled and held Bowser's hands.

"Honey, you're not supposed to know everything right away!"

"I'm not?"

"No! Raising a child is a learning experience," Celia explained. "There are plenty of things we'll need to know how to do by the time it comes, sure. But we won't know everything. Every child is unique, and we won't know exactly what our's will be like until it gets here. That's when we learn as we go."

"Oh…," Bowser replied, blushing. "But aren't you scared too?"

"Sure, maybe a little bit," Celia answered. "But I know it'll all work out because we'll be doing this _together_." Bowser smiled as he felt more reassured.

"But are you sure we'll be able to learn everything we need to ahead of time?" he asked. "When's this baby supposed to get here?" Celia laughed at her husband's continuous childlike naivety. She never expected this from someone like Bowser.

"Not for a while. We have plenty of time to get ready, trust me." She placed her hands on the rim of Bowser's shell and kissed his cheek. "Relax, I know you're gonna be a great dad."

* * *

The king and queen of the Rose Kingdom were surprised one day when they came to visit Bowser and Celia, and found their daughter's husband sprawled out on a sofa and snoring loudly; fast asleep with a book over his eyes. Celia walked in, carrying a tray of tea cups.

"Is…Bowser alright?" Celia's mother asked.

"Oh, he's fine," Celia answered calmly. "He's just a little tired. Bowser's been studying a lot these past few months to get ready for the baby. Honestly, I think he's overdoing it," she explained.

"I'd say so if his studies have pushed him to the point of exhaustion in the middle of the day," the queen agreed playfully.

"I'll say. He's acting like our baby's going to be this super judgmental, alien general or something!" Celia described with a laugh. "He might know how to warm a bottle now, but somehow I don't think Bowser fully understands what a baby is actually like yet."

"Well, regardless," Celia's father interjected. "I hope you two have been studying more than just baby care."

"What do you mean, Dad?"

"Well, our grandchild is not going to be an infant forever. Bowser may have his stronger qualities, but he still leaves others to be desired," the king described. "All I'm saying is that I hope you and Bowser will be prepared to take care of your child long _after_ the baby has grown out of the first stage of its life."

"How much more do you think we need to know?" Celia asked with slight concern. Truth be told, she hadn't even thought about what to do after their child grew up a little. What would she need to know by then? Celia knew she couldn't admit to her parents that she and Bowser were clueless about that and had given it next to no thought.

"The essentials of course," Celia's father elaborated. "What if something happens and the child is injured. Will you or Bowser know how to tend to it?"

"Well…"

"What if the child is struggling with homework when it's old enough to attend school? Will either of you know how to answer your child's questions?"

"Umm…"

"What kind of activities will our granddaughter want to partake in?" the queen inserted.

"We don't know that it's going to be a girl, Mom," Celia clarified. "We won't know what it is until it gets here in a couple weeks."

"Well, I do _hope_ it's a girl," the queen replied. "I have all of these cute little dresses for her to wear when she gets older!"

"If it's a boy, then…I guess he'll need to learn how to be a king when he's old enough," Celia thought aloud. "But Bowser will probably be a better teacher at that."

"We aren't trying to scare you, dear," Celia's father assured. "We just want to make sure you two will be able to do what's best for your child. It will be responsible for carrying the future, after all."

"I know, Dad," said Celia. She placed a hand to her large abdomen. "I just want our baby to feel loved. I want to always be there for it, no matter what it needs. I want to be the mother it deserves…" Celia's parents each placed a hand on her own.

"We know you'll do wonderful, darling," said Delia's mother.

* * *

Bowser paced back and forth in the waiting room for the umpteenth time early one morning. He couldn't sit down and relax like Celia's parents were insisting he do. How could he? The anticipation was killing him. The door opened when the Koopa King's back was turned and a doctor emerged.

"King Bowser?" the doctor spoke. Bowser spun around at the calling of his name. He was motioned to follow the medical professional inside. The patient's room was practically silent with only the sound of a small baby crying remaining. A single light fixture penetrated the otherwise pitch black environment. Bowser searched through the darkness as his heart raced.

"Bowser," a familiar voice beckoned to him. It was Celia, resting comfortably in the hospital bed. She was cradling their newborn child in her arms. Although it was wrapped in a blanket, so the new father couldn't see his child's face. "The baby's here. Are you ready?" she asked. Celia sounded exhausted, yet content. The Koopa King gulped, then nodded.

"As I'll ever be," he replied. "….Which is it?" Celia looked down at the baby, smiled, and then returned her view to her husband.

"It's a boy," she answered. The doctors motioned for Bowser to step forward. Celia extended her arms out to him as he approached the bedside. With his claws trembling, Bowser carefully took the baby, brought it close to his chest, and slowly removed the blanket from around its head. His eyes widened as he gasped.

"He looks just like… _me_ …," Bowser commented aloud. The baby was a tiny Koopa with beady, black eyes the size of marbles. He had small bumps on the sides of his heads where horns were sure to sprout from one day. The tired little infant opened his eyes long enough to see Bowser and stare blankly in pure curiosity. "Hey there, pal," Bowser whispered tenderly. "I'm your new daddy." The baby Koopa released a tiny chuckle and gave Bowser a toothless grin. He kicked his miniscule legs in excitement. Bowser was startled by this and quickly handed him back to Celia.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I…didn't think he could move that much yet," Bowser explained. "I'll let you hold on to him for now." Celia was both slightly concerned and amused by Bowser's timid response to the baby. He had passed their child off like it was a bomb on the verge of exploding.

"He's a baby, not a glass vase," Celia joked. "You're not gonna break him that easily, trust me."

"What's his name?" Bowser asked when finally calmed down.

"I was just going to ask you that," said Celia. "Since the day we got married, I've wanted to have this baby. But I know how scared that made you," she described. Bowser put his hands behind his shell. His tail curled in embarrassment. "I still remember how white you turned when I first told you I was pregnant!" she recollected with a laugh. "Looking back, it wasn't fair of me to only be thinking about what I wanted. I didn't think enough about _your_ feelings."

"Celia…," said Bowser.

"Darling, I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that you're here sharing this moment with me." Celia looked down at the baby Koopa in her lap. His tiny hand was gripping onto her index finger. She smiled when the infant looked up at her. "I want our son to mean just as much to you as he does to me. That's why…I think we should name him after you." Bowser stared at her.

"You mean…you want to name him Bowser too?"

"Well, maybe add something to it. Just so I can tell you two apart," she clarified.

"Okay then. What about…Bowser II?" The baby Koopa squeezed Celia's finger playfully and chuckled.

"No, that sounds too proper. I think our little boy is too rambunctious for that," she explained. "How about…Bowser Jr.?"

"Bowser….Jr…," he repeated. "I like it." The pair exchanged smiles. The Koopa King stepped closer and put his arm across Celia's shoulders. They both observed their child, who was now smiling playfully at his new parents from his mother's arms. In Bowser's eyes, his family was now complete.

* * *

Celia settled into bed for the night and was wrapped up in a good book under the humble glow of the lamp on her night stand. Bowser trudged into the room a moment later. His eye lids drooped low and he climbed into bed with a heavy sigh.

"Everything okay?" Celia asked calmly without taking her eyes off her book.

"Yeah," Bowser answered. "Junior's out like a light….and I'm about to be too." He pulled his half of the blankets over his shoulder, shut his eyes, and relaxed. Less than a minute later however, a small wailing sound could be heard from down the hall. Bowser groaned loudly when it reached him. He knew exactly what that sound was.

"Out like a light, huh?" Celia teased. She set her book aside and prepared to climb out of bed, but Bowser stopped her.

"No, you stay. I got it," said Bowser.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Don't worry," Bowser assured. He left the bedroom and returned a few minutes later.

"What was wrong?" Celia asked.

"He just needed changing…. _again_ …" Bowser answered as he made a beeline directly for the bed. "I'll say it again, Celia. You're feeding him too much. This kid's going through diapers way too fast."

"He's just a growing boy with an appetite," she defended playfully. "I think he takes after his father." Bowser didn't respond. He was trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, Junior started crying again. Bowser shifted in the bed, but Celia grabbed his arm.

"No, it's my turn this time. You get some rest," she ordered. Celia returned a moment later.

"What was it?" Bowser asked without opening his eyes.

"I forgot to turn on his night light," Celia answered. The pattern repeated several more times as the night progressed. Bowser and Celia alternated tending to their child's needs. They gradually became more and more exhausted with every trip. On one particular occurrence, Bowser entered the room while wiping off his chest with a towel.

"What happened this time?" Celia asked sleepily.

"I thought he had gas so I tried to burp him. He threw up instead," Bowser explained nonchalantly. Celia's turn came not long after.

"He dropped his teddy bear," said Celia. Junior's crying summoned Bowser once again.

"He wanted his bottle," said Bowser.

"He was shivering so I gave him another blanket."

"He was too hot so I opened his window."

"I had to sing him another lullaby."

"He was bored so I hit myself over the head with his rattle again. Pretty sure this bump's gonna be permanent soon."

"I read him another bedtime story."

"He wanted his pacifier."

Eventually, the problem wore out Celia completely. Junior was crying once again in the early hours of the morning, but she didn't even budge in response. The baby Koopa was persistent. Bowser tried to convince himself that their child would eventually just cry himself to sleep if he was ignored long enough, but this wasn't the case.

"Celia….," Bowser moaned. "Celia…..kid's crying again…." He shook her back firmly, but she was still fast asleep. "Come on, it's your turn to check…." Finally, Bowser just couldn't take it anymore. He stumbled down the hall and into Junior's bedroom. The infant was wailing as loud as he could, but he immediately stopped when he saw Bowser come in and turn on the light. By this point, Bowser was too fatigued to think logically.

He kneeled down until he was eye-level with Junior, gripped the bars of the crib, and glared at the child. Junior sat quietly and stared at him from the other side of the bars.

"Alright, listen up, kiddo," Bowser began. "I know you're a baby…and you can't do the whole 'talking' thing yet…." The Koopa King's speech was incredibly slurred as if he were intoxicated. "But I've done just about everything I can think of for you…so I'm gonna need you to just….open your mouth….and tell me what's wrong, m'kay?" Junior stared blankly at Bowser. An idea crept into his developing mind. The baby Koopa crawled over towards Bowser, reached up, and tugged on Bowser's hair while giggling playfully. The pain jolted Bowser fully awake.

"Are you serious!?" Bowser exclaimed. "No! No more of this!" he declared. His harsh tone silenced Junior's laughter immediately. He stomped over to the doorway and prepared to leave. "If you need anything else, it's waiting until morning! I'm _not_ getting up again, got it!?" The Koopa King barely entered the hallway when Junior started crying again. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Bowser's mind had reached an impasse.

On one hand, he was exhausted and wanted to sleep more than anything else. But at the same time, his fatherly instinct wouldn't allow him to just straight up ignore his crying son. He caved and re-entered Junior's room. To his surprise, the child stopped crying almost immediately upon seeing him again. Catching on to this, Bowser walked over to the rocking chair across from the crib, sat down, and stared at Junior, who was eagerly staring back.

"Alright, how about I just stay in here with you until you fall asleep. Will that work?" Bowser asked rhetorically. Junior sat up in his crib; sucking his thumb and silently staring at Bowser. As long as he wasn't crying, this was progress as far as Bowser was concerned. Several minutes later, Junior's energy gave out as he collapsed and finally fell asleep. By this point, Bowser had already settled into the rocking chair; his head tilted back while he was snoring loudly and drooling a bit.

Celia found her husband resting peacefully in the same chair the following morning. She carried Junior out of the room to get him ready for the day, but resolved not to wake Bowser. As far as she was concerned, he deserved to sleep in that morning. He was the one who cracked the code and figured out that all their baby wanted was for his daddy to sleep with him.

* * *

The Koopa family lived happily together, but Bowser was beginning to see signs of something troubling around the time of Junior's third birthday. Celia expressed to him that she was experiencing recurring pains in her chest. Not only that, but she started to sleep for much longer than usual and she didn't have as much energy throughout the day as she usually did. The mother did her best to spend time with Junior as often as she could, but it grew more and more difficult for her to do so as time went on. It was then up to Bowser and Celia's parents to fill in for her in order to keep the little Koopa occupied. Bowser's fears proved to have merit when he eventually decided to take his wife in to see a doctor about her symptoms.

"What….is it?" Celia asked with concern. The doctor returned with her test results, but the look on his face didn't inspire much confidence.

"I'm very sorry to have to tell you this Mrs. Koopa…," the doctor began. "But I'm afraid you tested positive for consifirrus." Bowser gripped Celia's hand.

"What does that mean? What is that?" she asked.

"It's a rare disease that sometimes surfaces in females who give birth to a child of…another species." Bowser and Celia's eyes each widened in horror.

"You mean…," she began.

"I'm afraid so. Bowser Jr.'s genetic structure is almost entirely Koopa-based. He inherited very few traits from you. The ones he did are hardly noticeable at all," the doctor explained.

"What does this mean!?" Celia panicked. "…My baby! W-what's going to happen to him!? I-is…is he sick!?"

"No, our medical records for your son don't show anything out of the ordinary. He's perfectly healthy," the doctor assured. The parents took a collective sigh of relief.

"It's to be expected. This illness rarely ever affects the child. However, I wish I could say that the same applied to you."

"What are you talking about!?" Bowser roared. "What's wrong with Celia!?"

"Your body most likely experienced certain complications during your pregnancy due to the radically different genetic structure of your baby. These complications grew over time into consifirrus. The pains in your chest and the recurring exhaustion are symptoms of it."

"What's gonna happen to her then?" Bowser asked.

"Consifirrus is incredibly deadly. Unfortunately, it's as rare as it is fatal so we haven't yet found a cure. I'm afraid it has already spread and caused severe damage throughout Celia's system." He looked Celia straight in the eyes. "At the rate it's spreading, I'd estimate that…you only have about two weeks to live. I'm very sorry." Bowser released Celia's hand and backed away slowly until his shell hit the wall. At which point, Bowser collapsed to the ground.

"Bowser…," Celia began.

"I did this…," said Bowser. " _I_ ….did this." Tears formed in his eyes as he held his head in his hands.

"No…Bowser…you didn't-"

"THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!" he exclaimed. "WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS! THIS WAS ALL A MISTAKE!" Bowser rambled hysterically. "IF I HAD NEVER EVEN MET YOU, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING TO YOU RIGHT-" Celia slapped Bowser across the face. She grabbed him by the spiked collar around his neck and forced him to look at her.

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ SAY THAT!" she screamed. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT!" She tried to hold back the tears as best she could, but it was no use. Still, that didn't stop her from speaking her mind. "BOWSER KOOPA, I CHOSE _YOU_ OVER THE HALF A DOZEN GUYS MY PARENTS WANTED ME TO MARRY! I DID IT BECAUSE I LOVED YOU FOR WHO YOU WERE! THE FACT THAT YOU WERE A KOOPA DIDN'T MATTER TO ME! YOU PROVED TO ME WHY IT SHOULDN'T!" Celia sobbed but she pressed on. "I LOVED YOU AND YOU LOVED ME BACK! YOU KILLED YOUR OWN FATHER TO EARN YOUR RIGHT TO BE WITH ME! AND I WILL **_NEVER_** ALLOW YOU TO STAND THERE AND TRY TO TELL ME THAT OUR CHILD WAS A _MISTAKE_!" Celia tried to shout more, but she was incredibly short of breath to the point where she was hyperventilating. Bowser and the doctor helped her sit down. The Koopa King held her as she wept.

* * *

He wasn't exactly sure when or why, but everything started to change in Junior's eyes when he grew old enough to become more self-aware. He was disappointed that he never saw his mother much anymore. She never seemed to be ready to play with him like she did when he was little. She was always sleeping or sitting down to rest. Even his father, whom he used to be closer with in the past, was growing more distant as well. He always seemed too busy tending to his mother's needs.

Junior always looked forward to spending time with his grandparents, as he was always the center of attention in their company. He just wished they wouldn't argue so much with his father whenever all the grown-ups were in the same house together. Why was everyone so upset all of a sudden? Why did they all hate each other when they used to be nice? Sure, they were all nice to Junior, but he noticed the way they always yelled and cried when talking to each other; assuming that the little Koopa either wasn't around or was too young to notice.

Bowser brought Junior over to visit Celia's parents in the Rose Kingdom one day for a visit. Celia slept longer than she ever had before that morning and Bowser wanted to get his mind off of his worries over this. But he'd soon realize that this visit wouldn't make things much better. Dianne was there to welcome them. She fondly remembered holding Junior a few days after he was born, but the little Koopa didn't remember at all. Explaining to him that she was a friend of his mother was reasoning enough for him to run off and play with her.

"Look, whatever you have to say, just say it already," Bowser instructed coldly as he sat in the tea room with the Rose King and Queen. Celia's parents glared at him for several minutes before one of them finally decided to say something.

"How could you have not known?" the queen asked. "How could you have not _known_ that this would happen to her?"

"Because it's a _rare_ disease," Bowser answered. "It doesn't even affect all the women who do what we did. Besides, for a while it seemed like Celia was going to be one of those lucky ones who didn't get it. She was feeling just fine when we first brought Junior home. Heck, she didn't start getting sick until the kid turned three!"

"Why didn't you take her for regular check-ups!?" the king exclaimed. "Maybe then they would've caught it sooner!"

"Well excuse me for letting my wife enjoy her new child and family at home instead of keeping her quarantined in a hospital room every day! Even if she had done that, what would they have caught it with? I told you before, there's no cure," Bowser explained. "Once you have it….that's it."

"I should've known nothing good would come from this," said the king. The day you barged into our kingdom as a prince, I had a feeling something wasn't right. I regret not acting on that feeling! If I had, this would _never_ have happened! OUR LITTLE GIRL WOULDN'T BE ON HER DEATHBED!"

"Kicking yourself about it now won't change anything," said Bowser.

"And just what are _you_ doing about it, hmm?" the queen prodded. Bowser looked out the window.

"Trying to make her as comfy as possible with the time she has left…"

"Have you at least told Junior?" Bowser looked back at the queen.

"No, I haven't."

"He's your son. He deserves to know the truth about his mother."

"Junior's only three years old!" Bowser argued. "I'm not going to straight up tell him his mom is dying!"

"Oh, and I suppose it would be better for him to wait around after the fact and wonder where his mother is when she's gone!?" the queen exclaimed. Bowser fell silent.

"Her time is running out, Bowser," the king declared. "You need to tell Junior the truth about what's happening to her before he loses her for good. If you don't, it'll ruin him for the rest of his life," he warned. Bowser stood up and walked over to exit the room. He looked back at them one last time.

"I already ruined his life by bringing him into this world. I ruined all of our lives."

Junior held Bowser's hand the entire way home. The cloudy skies were getting darker and the air smelled like rain. This was a bad omen if Bowser had ever seen one.

"Papa….how come we gotta go home early?" Junior asked. Bowser remained silent as he pondered how to word his response.

"Because….Mama is probably going to wake up from her nap soon and….I didn't tell her where we were going," said Bowser. "I don't want her to worry when she can't find us."

"Oh…okay…," Junior replied.

The two didn't say anything more until they reached home. Junior released his father's hand and ran around the castle's grass courtyard excitedly as he always liked to do when he came home from somewhere. Bowser walked past him slowly and reached the castle entrance before he stopped.

"Papa, can I stay out here and play?" Junior asked. It was now or never. Bowser walked over to him.

"Sure, kiddo. But before you run off…there's something I have to tell you. Sit down," Bowser instructed. Bowser took a seat in the grass. Junior insisted on sitting in his father's lap as he listened.

"What is it, Papa?" the little Koopa asked.

"Junior….you know how Mama always seems tired and sleeps a lot?" Junior nodded. "Well, the reason she's like that is because…she's very sick."

"...Does she have a tummy ache?"

"No, kiddo. It's a little more serious than that. Mama has a sickness where she's just…always tired."

"Can't we take her to a doctor?" The worry in Junior's eyes was growing, much to Bowser's dismay.

"We can't. They…can't make her better. So Mama's getting ready…to take a big nap. I'm trying to help her get ready for it." Bowser could feel a pain in his chest. He couldn't bear to say anything more.

"Can I help Mama get ready for her nap too?" Junior asked. It took everything Bowser had not to break down in front of him. "Yeah, you know what? Do that. I want you to…look around here and see if you can pick a flower for Mama," Bowser instructed.

"A flower?" Junior repeated.

"Yeah, the prettiest one you can find. Just, don't wander off too far, okay? When you find the best one…bring it inside for her."

"Okay!" Junior agreed as he scampered off to search.

Bowser ran into the castle and composed himself as quickly as he could. One of the guards approached him just as he was presentable again.

"What is it?" Bowser asked.

"The queen is awake, sire," said the guard. "She's looking for you." Bowser went directly to Celia's bedroom. She looked awful. Her entire skin had gone pale and it clearly hurt for her to even try sitting up in bed.

"How are you doing, honey?" Bowser asked. The pain in her eyes spoke volumes for how miserable she was. But Celia's smile said otherwise.

"Just…glad I could see you one last time…" Bowser firmly gripped her hand in between his claws as he sat at her bedside.

"Aww, come on Celia. Don't say that." Deep down Bowser knew it was pointless, but he couldn't admit it to himself. "You've still got plenty of time left. You-"

"Bowser…," she stopped him. "There's something I need to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Do you regret falling in love with me?" Bowser could feel his eyes watering again. "I never wanted to do this to you or Junior."

"This is _not_ your fault, sweetie. We didn't know this would happen."

"I can't tell you how much I hate sitting here and…feeling so _useless_ ," Celia described. "I hate seeing you give up your happiness for me. I hate watching Junior grow up, and not being able to even get up to hold him while he's still young." Bowser didn't know what to say. What _could_ he say? Nothing would change what was happening.

"Everything's okay," he lied. "Junior's doing just fine and…."

"Please don't lie to me," Celia stopped him. "You were never good at that."

"Heh…I guess you're right," he agreed with a small, forced laugh.

"Just…answer my question…..please…" Bowser took a deep breath.

"Celia, I don't regret any of this," said Bowser. "Not one bit. You shouldn't either. What we have is real, and it was _always_ worth it. My family is the best thing that ever happened to me. This doesn't change any of that." Celia smiled.

"Then…I'm glad," she replied. "There's one other thing I need you to do for me."

"Anything," said Bowser.

"Make me a promise." She placed her free hand on top of Bowser's claws. "Promise me that you'll take care of Junior, and that you'll protect him no matter what." Bowser was silent. "If you can do that…then I can go without any regrets," she explained. "I can move on…knowing you'll be okay because…you'll have each other." Bowser broke down into tears.

"Celia…," he whispered. His claws were trembling.

"Bowser... _promise_ me." He looked straight into her eyes through the tears.

"I promise….I _swear_ that I will…." Celia smiled.

"Thank you…"

"Mama…?" Junior spoke from behind. He stood in the doorway holding a red rose in his tiny claw. He approached the bedside and handed the rose to his mother.

"Sweetheart…," she spoke softly.

"Here, Mama. This is for you," Junior explained. "Papa says this'll help you get ready for your big nap." Celia's eyes watered, but she did her best not to show it in front of Junior. Without any warning, Bowser hoisted the little Koopa up onto the bed so Celia could hug him.

"It's lovely, darling….thank you…" It was hurting Celia to speak up when she was so weak, but she knew she absolutely had to force herself. She couldn't go without saying goodbye to her baby. "Junior…...I love you…...so much…" she sobbed quietly.

"I love you too, Mama," Junior replied.

"I will _always_ love you…...no matter what. Please…...never…...forget…...that….."

After a kiss and a hug that she wished would last forever, Celia released Junior and laid back in her bed; gripping Bowser's hand tightly. She didn't take her eyes off Bowser and Junior. Not once. She felt her eyelids growing heavy. But she fought them for as long as she could. Celia knew that as soon as they closed, they would never open again. Before much longer, she gave in and her vision was swallowed up in complete darkness.

Bowser felt her hand go limp, and he knew then, that Celia was gone.

"Papa…?"

"Yes, Junior?"

"When Mama wakes up from her nap…can she play with me?" Bowser couldn't even try to hold back the tears in front of his son. "How come you're crying, Papa?"

"Mama…can't wake up, Junior…," Bowser confessed. "She'll never wake up again." The little Koopa gasped as he started to tear up.

"H-how come…?" he stammered.

"That's just how it has to be, kiddo…," said Bowser. He hugged his son tightly. "But don't you worry. It's just gonna be you and me from now on but…...everything's gonna be okay. You'll see…"

 _You'll see…_

* * *

After Queen Celia's passing, the Koopa Kingdom entered an era of great change. Bowser lost all his sense of kindness and love without Celia. He blamed himself for giving her the disease that took her life. Every time he looked at Junior, he was not only reminded of her love, but also of his greatest regret. But he could never let Junior know that. Bowser became bitter, selfish, and angry. He never wanted to be as vulnerable and scared as he was after losing Celia ever again. He would do anything to keep people away.

Junior, being his impressionable son, took note of his father's behavior and followed in his footsteps. He acted spoiled, arrogant, and violent because he now believed that this was where true strength came from. The denizens of the Koopa Kingdom took notice of their king's behavior. The castle fell into disarray; the moat and the lakes dried up; and the citizens began to starve to death as their crops withered. They tried to leave. Some were successful and never returned. Those who were not, were forced to enlist in Bowser's new army. They were terrible soldiers, and in time the Koopa army was a shell of its former self. Many of the Koopas who served during Bowser's earlier years on the throne either defected to other lands or died in battle. Mentioning Celia was forbidden in the castle. Those who did were promptly executed. In time, her name and memory were forgotten by all except Bowser.

The Koopa King severed all ties with the Rose Kingdom and its people. In Bowser's eyes, they were just ghosts from his past. The King and Queen never forgave Bowser for essentially killing their daughter. As such, they were happy to distance themselves from him, especially after they saw the monster he became in Celia's absence. They refused to acknowledge their grandson's existence as well. He was a walking reminder of the daughter they lost as well as the cause of her death; so they resented Junior for it in secret. Dianne held out hope for the Bowser she knew to return someday, but her hopes were short-lived and soon she too moved on in time.

Celia's death was perceived by Bowser to be his time of ultimate weakness and regret. He never wanted the world to remember this time ever again. The Koopa King built up a reputation for controlling people with fear and threats as he clawed his way to power. He wanted to become strong beyond challenge, question, or belief. No one was to ever know of his past. Only of his present, and his drive to conquer all he could see in the future. In time, Kammy Koopa and the seven Koopalings were recruited to lead his armies as they worked tirelessly to take the world in the name of their tyrannical leader.

Junior became so engulfed in his new behavior that he subconsciously shoved away what little memory he had of Celia. In time, he could no longer remember her name, her face, or even her voice as he grew older. Just like his father, Junior believed that thinking about his mother made him weak. So he vowed to never do so again if he could help it. He had to become strong no matter what. To that end, he had to be willing to face anyone who challenged him or questioned his power.

Despite all of the changes, Junior stood as the last persistent reminder to Bowser of the love he left behind. Junior was still a child and he needed a mother. The Koopa King turned his sights towards a new neighboring kingdom that had been prospering in recent years: the Mushroom Kingdom. When he first laid eyes on Princess Peach, Bowser knew he would do whatever it took to make her his bride. The future of the Koopa Kingdom depended on it.


	15. Before Hope Dies

Princess Peach sat comfortably upon her castle balcony as she observed the night sky; lost in her thoughts. She had been trying her hardest to enjoy the cake and tea celebration with Mario earlier in this afternoon for rescuing her, but she just couldn't ignore the nagging feeling inside that she had been feeling all day, which just wouldn't quit. Mario approached her from inside and looked at her; concern flickering in his eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Mario," Peach apologized. "I didn't mean to make you worry again. I'm fine, really." Mario didn't say a word. He never did, but his silence spoke volumes. The plumber's sentiments never failed to convey themselves through his eyes. The look he was giving Peach indicated that he still believed something was bothering her, and that she wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it. The princess sighed. "It's that obvious, isn't it?" she asked. "I guess I'm just….worried about Bowser and Junior." Mario took a seat next to Peach and looked to the stars with her. "I know Bowser does all kinds of terrible things, but what happened to him….I would never wish that kind of fate upon anyone." Mario placed one gloved hand upon her own. He could tell that she was conflicted over what happened on that platform.

On one hand, Bowser was a tyrant. He did bad deeds all the time and had his punishment coming on so many occasions. Mario was undoubtedly growing tired of chasing after the princess and continuing to play this little game with Bowser so many times. Peach was certain that Mario was starting to wish it would end so they could live in peace. But still, that didn't mean he wanted Bowser to die. The plumber thought back to all the good times they had playing sports and racing go-karts together. The Koopa King wasn't _always_ such a bad guy. Especially when he was willing to give his life if it meant protecting his child.

"I especially worry about Junior. He's only a child. He has his whole life ahead of him and it would be tragic to see it cut short so soon," said Peach. Mario wasn't too surprised to hear this confession from Peach. She was well-renowned in her kingdom for her kindness and compassion for everyone. If there was anyone who saw the good in people like Bowser and Junior, it was most definitely her. "Bowser has survived falling into lava so many times. Do you think this time was any different, Mario?" The plumber crossed his arms and shut his eyes to think.

"Hmmm…," he pondered. Somehow Peach had a feeling that even if Mario could actually give an answer, he wouldn't have one in this case.

"I am certainly in your debt as always for saving me. But I can't help but wonder if…had there been a chance for us to save Bowser and his son, should we have taken it? Is there anything we can do for them now?"

"Oh!" Mario spoke. He put his hands together, smiled, and his eyes met her's. Peach returned the joyful sentiment with a smile of her own.

"You're right," Peach agreed. She put her hands together as well. "We should pray to the stars for them." The two closed their eyes and focused. "Star Spirits high above. Please, hear our prayer," the princess began. "We wish for Bowser and Junior to be safe from harm, wherever under the sky they may be. Please, let not his many missteps overshadow the single selfless act of heroism he displayed before us. We urge you to grace Bowser with enough of your forgiveness so he may endure whatever suffering that has befallen him; and may you grant him the strength he needs to find his way home. Guide him and his child with your merciful light, so they may one day find peace within themselves as well as in the company of others. This is what we ask of you from the bottom of our hearts."

* * *

At the bottom of the cave, Bowser stirred awake once more from underneath the rocks. But why? Why was he still alive? Why couldn't his body just let go so he could escape this hell on earth? Bowser foolishly tugged and tried to pull himself out once more, but he didn't budge. Why did he bother? He was even weaker now than he was before. Air wasn't the only thing Bowser was running out of. His muscles were starting to weaken and die on him as well. The Koopa King drooped his head and rested it in the dirt as he wallowed in his never-ending despair.

" _So, this is really how it ends for the great and terrible Bowser, huh?"_ said a voice. Bowser didn't bother to look up.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, old man?" Bowser asked.

" _Because I'm not him."_ This got Bowser's attention. He opened his eyes and saw Celia standing before him once again. But, something looked…different about her this time. She wasn't quite as transparent or as ghostly as before. Tiny particles of light danced around her before they faded away. She looked….almost real.

"Celia…," Bowser started.

" _Don't tell me you've started listening to him now after all this time."_ She no longer had an echo in her voice either. What was going on? Bowser grumbled. The Koopa Queen observed Bowser's predicament. " _That looks like a pretty uncomfortable place to take a nap,"_ she joked.

"Be serious…," Bowser replied.

" _Why should I? You aren't taking this seriously either."_

"I'm not?"

" _No!"_ Celia argued. " _You're sitting there, crying like a baby just because you're a little stuck and can't pull yourself out from under that rock_."

"It's not just the rock, Celia…," said Bowser in a gruff tone. "Even if I could get out, what's the point? There's nothing left for me to live for."

" _Not even Junior?"_

"He hates me, and he has every reason to now. He thought he did a good thing by helping me with his wish. He just wanted me to be proud of him for once. I should've been. But I didn't tell him that…," Bowser described. "I let my stupid ego get in the way again; just like it always does. I've been trying so hard to teach him to be selfish and mean. But he just…isn't like that. It's not in his blood. He inherited one thing from you, Celia: your kindness. Being evil just isn't who he is."

" _It's not who you really are either."_

"What are you talking about?"

" _Well, I did try to teach you to be more confident. But I think you took it a little too far_ ," his wife explained. " _You swore to me that you wanted to become a better Koopa than your father. You thought you proved that by killing him. But part of you is still afraid of what he thinks, even though he's been dead all this time. All these years you've been mixing your fear in with the confidence I gave you. You come off just as bad as him."_

"I know…," Bowser agreed as his tears flowed once more. "After you died…I lost sight of who I was. I didn't want to love anymore. I've done so many terrible things since then. You'd probably never forgive me…"

 _"Of course I would."_

"But, I don't know if I can change back and be the Koopa you loved…"

 _"Bowser, you can't keep holding yourself up to my perception of you…,"_ said Celia. _"The truth is, I don't exist anymore. I can't stop you from being who you are now, and you shouldn't use me as a guilt trip."_

"But the Koopa you loved…he isn't me anymore…"

 _"He'll_ _ **always**_ _be you in my eyes,"_ Celia corrected. _No matter what you say or do; no matter how much you change or what you become, I will always love you, Bowser."_ Bowser didn't respond. He wanted to let that sink in for a moment. " _I don't know if you can go back to your old ways or if it's even worth it to do so after all this time. That's something you're going to have to figure out on your own. But what I do know, is that it's not too late to stop the same thing from happening to our son."_

"I already told you, he-"

" _So you're not even going to_ _ **try**_ _to make things right!?"_ Celia screamed. " _Are you seriously telling me that you're fine wasting away in here while our little boy is probably scared, hurt and alone somewhere!?"_

"I already broke my promise to you," Bowser argued. "I couldn't take care of him or protect him." Celia glared at the Koopa King. He was frozen by the ice in her eyes.

" _Your promise is only broken if you give up on trying to keep it."_ Bowser didn't reply. " _You're still here. You're still alive. So is he. That means you still have a chance to get out of here, find Junior, and make things right with him; no matter what it takes! If you can't do that, then_ _ **that's**_ _when I consider your promise to be broken. But not a moment before."_ Bowser was silent as he processed Celia's words. _"No matter what kind of monster you've become over the years in my absence, I_ _ **know**_ _you don't want to do that to me, or Junior."_

"Celia …you seem different somehow," said Bowser. "What's going on?" She smiled.

" _Before, I only existed in your dreams and the projections from your mind. I was only ever saying things based on what you thought of me and what you remembered. But this time, I'm a little bit different."_ Celia walked over, kneeled down, and placed her hand on Bowser's. He gasped and his eyes widened. His hand winced like an electric current had been injected into his system.

Her touch felt real. Celia…..was real.

"H-hold on…what the heck is going on here!?" Bowser exclaimed. "Celia, sweetie….are you…?" She laughed a little. She leaned down even further and kissed Bowser's forehead. There was no question about it. This feeling was unbelievably familiar. Bowser's wife was as real as she appeared to be.

"That's right, Bowser. It's really me. "

" _How_!? I…" The queen gently stroked Bowser's cheek with her hand. How he missed the sweet sensation of her touch.

"Consider this to be….a gift from the stars. I don't know who, but someone out there made a wish for you to be okay. So the stars sent me to come help you out," she explained happily. Standing up, she placed one hand to the rock on top of Bowser. "Ready?" she asked. Instinctively, Bowser knew exactly what she meant. He nodded.

"Ready," Bowser confirmed. The Koopa King lifted the rock with his back using all the strength and drive he could muster. Celia's magical touch made the rock feel almost weightless. As it levitated, she waved her hand and tossed it off to the side. Bowser was free! He stumbled to his feet with her help. Wiping away his tears, Bowser smiled genuinely. He hadn't felt this happy in many years.

"See? Nothing to it," Celia commented cheerfully. Bowser immediately hugged her tightly without a single word more. His wife was right here in front of him again. He had to hold her in his arms for as long as the moment would allow. Their eyes met, and Bowser and Celia kissed passionately; the first time after many long, agonizing years apart.

"Come with me!" Bowser commanded. "We can pick up right where we left off! We can finally be together again!" Her eyes left his.

"I can't…," she denied. "I was only here to help you get back up on your feet again." She dusted Bowser's hair and rubbed the dirt off his face. "Somehow, I think it was pretty obvious you would need more than a hallucination to pull yourself out of this one!" Bowser's smile was ever persistent. As long as he looked at her, his happiness couldn't fade. Using her newfound magic powers, Celia faced the debris, waved her hand, and used the boulders to make a climbable path up to the exit above.

"I can't even begin to tell you how it feels to see you again…," said Bowser.

"I know," she agreed. "I've missed you too, dear." She looked up at the exit. There was light emanating from it so Bowser gathered it was a way out of the cave. But judging from the sky's color, the day was almost over. He had to climb up before he ran out of light. "Go," she directed. "Find our son so you two can go home together."

"I will," Bowser declared. "I'll keep our promise no matter what." Celia placed her hands over her heart.

"I know you will." With one final kiss, Bowser could feel his strength returning. His injuries weren't completely healed, but he was in good enough condition to get moving again. Bowser turned away from Celia and began to approach the rocks. She felt her arms wrap around his neck one last time. "Tell Junior how much I love and miss him. I'll always be with you both!" she promised. Bowser smiled, rubbed her hands delicately, then grabbed the rock with his claws, and hoisted himself on top.

His back was in pain, but he soldiered onwards and upward. Rock after rock, Bowser inched closer and closer to the light above. The dust brushed against his wounds and stung at his nerves, but Bowser endured, unflinching. He had found new determination; new strength. Finally, Bowser pulled himself up onto the top of the cliff. He could see the outside world again just inches away.

The Koopa King looked back one last time. Celia was still at the bottom floor. She smiled and waved as she was engulfed in the particles of light again. Her purpose had been served. Once she had disappeared completely, Bowser felt ready to move on and exit the cave.

He still had to find Junior. It was time to go home.


	16. Return of the King

Bowser approached the lava river across the mountain's summit and stopped to examine it. There was no solid ground to cross over it. But he could vaguely make out an area where the lava was not boxed in by the mountain's tall edges. It was pouring down to somewhere. Maybe there was a way off the mountain nearby.

Turning back around, the Koopa King spotted several small fragments of the ground floating towards the middle of the lava lake in a line. Bowser gathered that they recently broke off. But why? He carefully lowered one foot down on top of one of the ground pieces, but instantly retracted it when he noticed the platform sinking under the weight of just one of his legs. Bowser was too heavy to stand on these in order to get across. There had to be another way.

Back-tracking a bit, Bowser climbed up a small cliff near the lava river's other side. He could just barely make out some solid ground above. Hoisting himself up on to the higher level, Bowser made a mental note of the vast array of purple crystals protruding out of the earth around him. He was strong enough to pluck one out with one arm, and he stared at it for a moment or so.

Suddenly, the entire mountain erupted and shook all around. The tremor was so widespread that deep down in the bottom of the hole, Junior slowly woke up. Out of the lava lake, a towering serpent emerged and set its sights on Bowser.

"Another bothersome pest…," said the creature. "Leave my mountain at once before a make a meal out of you!" Bowser glared at the serpent.

"What's your beef, soot-breath?" Bowser replied. "It's a free kingdom! I can walk wherever I want!"

"You _dare_ to challenge the ruler of this land!?"

"You bet your scaly butt I do! You must not know who you're talking to right now!" The serpent unleashed an ear-bleeding screech. Junior sat up and listened carefully as the noise poured in from the hole high above him. Did he hear his father talking just now?

"Your words hold no weight in my presence! Your existence is meaningless in my wake!" the serpent exclaimed. Bowser smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"Is that so? Well then, let me introduce myself!" Bowser threatened. The serpent launched straight down towards him. Bowser met the monster's attack head-on. He gripped the serpent's jaws in each of his hands to kill his opponent's momentum. After sliding back a few inches, Bowser had managed to maintain his stance. He released the serpent's upper jaw, but still held the bottom one tightly. With one free fist, Bowser punched the serpent square in the nose and sent it flying backwards into the lava. Bowser shook his hands sporadically. The creature's flesh was boiling hot. Direct contact with it was asking for trouble. The serpent shot out of the lava once again and lunged towards Bowser.

The Koopa King reached for the crystal he pulled out of the ground moments ago and smacked the creature with it when it got close. The serpent was persistent as it continued to snap at him. Bowser repeated his attacks as he battered the snake with his crystal. Eventually, the makeshift bat shattered after enduring one too many hits. Bowser jumped out of the way of the creature's attempt to capitalize on his vulnerability. The Koopa King couldn't tell if his attacks were having any effect at all.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" the serpent roared. Taking a deep breath, it shot a stream of fire from its mouth. From the ground, Bowser countered with fire breath of his own. Despite his best efforts, Bowser still wasn't operating at 100%. His breath lost the wager and his skin was badly burned as he tried to dodge. Bowser slowly rose to his feet. The Koopa King plucked another crystal from the ground and stared the serpent down.

The fire demon accepted Bowser's challenge as it snapped at him. The Koopa King jammed the crystal vertically into the serpent's mouth and propped it open. Startled by this, the serpent crashed to the ground at his feet and jerked its head around as it tried to shake the crystal loose. Bowser slammed his fists directly on top of the serpent's head. The crystal snapped into pieces under the serpent's teeth, and the creature retreated from its opponent's presence for a moment. Bowser grabbed yet another crystal.

"Whatsa matter, lizard lips!?" Bowser taunted. "That all you've got!?" The serpent jerked its tail out from the lava and swung it with blazing speed. It swatted Bowser and sent him flying against a wall behind him. The Koopa King tumbled to his knees and nursed the long burn mark against his chest. Deep down, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

"You fight with _some_ heart, I'll give you that…," the serpent admitted. "Perhaps you'll be a worthwhile meal, unlike the other smaller turtle that came before you." Bowser's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Smaller turtle…?" His brain lit up. "JUNIOR!" Bowser gritted his teeth. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON!?" The serpent smirked.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" The serpent lunged at Bowser once again. The Koopa King grabbed the serpent by the sides of its head and dug his claws in deeply.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID WITH MY KID _NOW_!" Bowser roared. "BEFORE I SKIN YOU ALIVE!" The serpent shot a quick fire blast to break free. Bowser was cornered as he nursed his burns. It was getting harder to stand up.

Junior was sure of it now. Bowser was up there and he was fighting the snake monster. But judging from the groans and screams, it wasn't going well. Should he do something? Was he worth helping? The little Koopa hadn't forgotten why he parted ways with his dad in the first place.

Bowser reached for another crystal, but the serpent's tail wrapped around his leg and hoisted him high up into the air. Bowser's ankle was burning from the monster's touch.

Still, Bowser was in trouble. So was he. Junior realized that he needed Bowser's help if he was ever going to get out of here. It was time to put his grudge aside. Even if it was just for now.

"Dad!" Junior called out. No response. How was he going to get his dad's attention from down here?

The serpent tossed Bowser higher up into the sky and prepared to catch him with its mouth. Bowser spun as he fell and triggered his spike ball technique. The spikes stabbed the insides of the serpent's mouth. It shrieked in pain and spat him out immediately. Bowser crashed to the ground with a thud as he uncurled himself.

Junior attempted to hoist himself up onto a rock again. He managed to climb up a little higher than before, but his foot slipped and he tumbled back down to the bottom again.

"Dad!" Junior called out again between coughs as he ingested the rising dust.

Bowser's arms trembled as he forced himself to sit up. His body was screaming and begging for him to give up. But his mind was too stubborn. The serpent's head descended down slowly to savor the moment as it went in for the kill.

"That shell of your's is quite bothersome," the creature commented. Bowser looked up at it but didn't say anything. "I'll have to remove it first before eating you."

Junior continued attempting to climb out, but in vain. He tumbled into the dirt several more times. Upon standing up, the dust had become too much. Junior huffed, puffed, and finally sneezed. From his mouth, the little Koopa shot out a small burst of fire straight up into the air and out of the hole.

Bowser caught a glimpse of a small light from the corner of his eye. It looked like fire. Bowser dove out of the way of the serpent's bite just in time, scrambled to his feet with pure adrenaline, and approached the source of the light. It was a hole. He couldn't see directly down inside of it right away because of a thick cloud of dust, but he heard a small sniffling sound coming from below.

"Hello?" Bowser called out. Junior's eyes widened upon hearing his father's voice.

"…Dad?...DAD!" the little Koopa exclaimed.

"Junior…? Junior! Is that you!?" Bowser sighed tremendously in relief at the sound of his child's voice. He was still alive.

"Dad, it's me! Help! I'm stuck down here!" Bowser turned around again just in time to avoid another advance from the serpent.

"Hang on!" Bowser exclaimed. "I'll get you out somehow!" he promised. He had to think on his feet as he dodged for his life. Bowser plucked two more crystals and maneuvered his way back over to the hole where Junior was. The serpent attempted to stop Bowser from reaching his goal. But when he got close enough, Bowser stabbed the creature in the eye with one of the crystals. The monster roared in pain and retreated temporarily. Bowser had managed to buy himself some time, but not much.

The hole was too small for Bowser to fit through so he couldn't climb down to Junior's level. But he already had another idea in mind. He lowered a crystal down into the hole with one hand.

"Junior, here! Grab on to this and I'll pull you up!" the Koopa King directed. Junior hesitated. With only one arm, hanging on tightly was going to be difficult. He couldn't let go once he was in the air. Junior was positive he couldn't take another fall. Junior wrapped his good arm around the crystal and dug his tiny claws into it as he let his broken arm dangle. He wrapped his feet around the bottom of it as well. Bowser yanked the crystal up. When Junior began to feel himself slipping, he bit the crystal with his front tooth to buy himself a few more seconds.

As the crystal reached the outside air, Junior lost his grip and flew upwards freely. Bowser caught Junior on his way back down and hugged him tightly in his arms before the little Koopa could panic. He looked up, and was greeted with a barrage of kisses and tears. His chest bounced against Junior's cheek as he sobbed.

"Dad….I'm okay…," said Junior.

"I know….," Bowser cried. "I'm just…glad. I'm so happy to see you…" Junior smiled and patted Bowser's arm with his good hand. Bowser set Junior down to his feet and put his massive hands on the little Koopa's shoulders.

"Dad….I-"

"Shhhh," Bowser stopped him. "Don't worry about that right now. We need to get out of here." Junior nodded in agreement.

"But what about that snake monster?" the little Koopa asked.

"We need to get rid of him first."

"We…?" Bowser looked directly into Junior's eyes.

"I need your help, champ," Bowser clarified. "I can't do this alone." Junior was startled to hear this. His father _never_ asked anyone for help before. He didn't let Junior help last time against the golems. Why was this time so different?

"But…I broke my arm again when I fell down that hole…," Junior confessed sheepishly.

"Then just use your other one," Bowser argued. "Can I count on you?" Junior smiled.

"Yeah!"

The serpent monster resurfaced once the pain in its eye had subsided. It had gone partially blind thanks to that crystal, but the creature was determined to make Bowser suffer for it. It returned to the place where Bowser was last, but its future meal had disappeared. The serpent searched around the mountain top. Finally, it found Bowser standing confidently nearby. He had been waiting.

"It's about time you came back!" Bowser shouted.

"I will make you pay dearly, you abomination!" the serpent retaliated.

"Yeah? Let's see you try!" The serpent began another series of snaps and lunges at Bowser. The Koopa King dodged and ran as he evaded the attacks. He was luring the creature away from the spot where he had been standing. Meanwhile, Junior was behind a rock, executing the plan his father had discussed with him. Junior stomped a crystal into slightly smaller pieces that he could carry with one hand. He repeated this process on another crystal, then another, and another. The little Koopa pulled from a pile he had as he prepared his arsenal. By the time Bowser jogged back around to his location with the serpent in pursuit, Junior was ready.

The little Koopa handed Bowser two crystals, which the latter used to fend off the serpent when it got close. Feeling dizzy and fatigued from all of the damage it had taken, the serpent gradually lowered its head. Bowser jumped on-board. His nerves were practically exploding under the blistering heat, but Bowser ignored them. He had to in order for this plan to work.

The Koopa King stabbed the crystals into the creature's flesh. The serpent roared and jerked around to try to shake Bowser off. Bowser dug his claws in and held on for dear life. Junior ran out from behind the rock. After taking a running start, he threw another crystal into the air. The Koopa King caught it and jammed it into the serpent. The creature flailed wildly as it continued attempting to remove Bowser. It was getting harder to stay on. The pair repeated their maneuver several more times until the serpent's head was practically covered in implanted crystals.

Eventually, the serpent finally managed to shake Bowser off. The Koopa King flew and crashed down near Junior.

"Dad!" he cried out as he hurried over to assist his father. "Are you okay?" Bowser picked himself back up.

"Yeah…," he responded weakly. "How's this thing still standing?" he wondered aloud. The serpent definitely looked weak now, but if it wasn't finished off, the battle wouldn't end. Junior spotted one final crystal. The two nodded as they understood what to do next.

"ENOUGH!" the serpent exclaimed. Its fangs dove towards Bowser for one final attack. It was all or nothing now. Bowser sprinted forward to confront the serpent one final time. Using the last of his strength, Junior threw the last crystal before face-planting into the dirt. Bowser reached back and caught it without losing any speed. The serpent was still up high and Bowser couldn't wait for it to come down. When he ran out of solid ground, the Koopa King leaped off to face the serpent head-on.

Lava was directly below him now. There was no certainty of where he would land. But that didn't matter. All that did was this moment. Bowser jammed the final crystal directly into the serpent's forehead. As it was cemented into place, Bowser lost his grip and fell.

The pain was too great. The demon had no strength left. It reluctantly admitted defeat as it fainted. The serpent crashed into a rock, breaking one of the crystals loose, and was engulfed by the lava with an immense splash.

Bowser collided with the same rock and fell into the lava as well. His shell managed to cushion his fall and prevent him from going under for too long. Everything was burning, but he wasn't dead yet. This was a very familiar predicament. Bowser once again found himself floating on lava by his shell, but unable to move or climb out of harm's way. Unfortunately, his shell was in a lot worse shape now than it was last time.

The rocks from the cave had managed to create cracks and chips in the Koopa King's otherwise impenetrable backside armor. His flesh was directly exposed to the lava in several places, and the pain was almost unimaginable. The time Bowser had left to get off the river before he burned to death was half of what it was previously.

To make matters even worse, the serpent's collision with the rock had created a chain reaction that shook the entire mountain to its core. Junior tumbled down a slope and landed at the bottom level near the edge of the lava lake. He sat up and processed what was happening as the mountain began to erupt. The little Koopa grabbed a crystal nearby; the very same one that broke off the serpent's head. He raced over to the edge of the lava river and spotted Bowser.

"Dad, here!" Junior exclaimed. "Grab on!" Bowser reached for the crystal with all his might. He just needed fate to allow him to float a little closer. Bowser grabbed onto it at last and Junior pulled him over to the lava's edge. The Koopa King managed to roll up onto shore. But there was no time for either of them to catch their breath.

The very ground under their feet was breaking apart. In fight or flight mode, Bowser stumbled to his feet, picked Junior up, and placed his child over his shoulders and behind his neck in a piggyback.

"Hold on tight!" Bowser instructed. Junior nodded without a word. Thinking quickly, Bowser charged into a massive crystal that was embedded into the wall nearby with his shoulder. The piece that broke off was large enough for Bowser to roll into the lava. He hopped on-board and used it as a raft to navigate the perilous ocean of magma.

The crystal was carried down a steep decline at the other side of the mountain. The path it took sharply turned left and right as it rode the slope. It jerked Bowser in each direction, and it took everything Junior had not to let go of his dad's head. After several minutes of close calls, the crystal raft reached the foot of the mountain as it descended into a tiny, calm spring of lava. The ride was over.

Bowser stepped off of the crystal and back onto solid ground as he caught his breath. Junior was unconscious, but the little Koopa had managed to hang on for the entire ride down. The Koopa King looked back and watched from a safe distance as the volcano finished erupting. He was sure the serpent had survived since it lived in the lava, but that hardly mattered. Bowser had bested him in battle and escaped from the mountain alive with Junior in tow.

There wasn't much to see on the road ahead. It looked to be a flat, safe, and boring walk from here on out. After what he had just been through, Bowser couldn't have asked for anything more. The pain from his injuries was catching up to him in full force now. It took everything he had left to keep limping forward. As long as he was still alive, it didn't matter how much he was hurting. His quest wasn't over yet.

He still had to keep his promise to Celia.


	17. The Forgotten Sanctuary

Junior slowly woke up once again late in the afternoon. He vaguely recalled Bowser transferring him from his shoulders to his arms sometime during the night. But something was different now. He wasn't in his father's arms anymore. The little Koopa sat up and realized that he was on the ground. He had been sleeping up against a tree. But where was his dad? What happened? Junior surveyed the land around him and his eyes immediately stopped when he spotted Bowser collapsed face-down on the ground several feet away. Junior sat up and approached him, but froze in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of something horrifying.

Bowser's shell was completely scorched with ugly black burns and thin red lava streams that were etched into the surface's grooves. The remaining spikes were cracked and looked to be on the verge of dissipating into ash. The rim of his shell was peeling and chipping away and the entire structure was still emanating steam from the remaining heat. The little Koopa had never seen a shell in such a ruined state and wondered how his father had managed to travel this far with such an atrocity unfolding on his back. Immediately fearing for the Koopa King's life, Junior shook his father's arm.

"Dad…? Dad!" he called. He continued to jerk his arm desperately. Slowly, Bowser faded back into consciousness. He blinked his eyes rapidly before finally sitting up.

"Uggghhhh…," Bowser groaned.

"Dad! Are you okay?" Junior asked worriedly. Bowser massaged his forehead with his hand.

"Yeah….I…,"

"What happened?"

"I set you down over there…because I needed a moment to rest," he explained at last. "I shut my eyes for a minute. Wonder how long I was out for…" Junior didn't reply. He was sure Bowser was suffering from the burns on his shell. But what could _he_ do about it? The little Koopa wasn't in much better shape himself at the moment. All they could really do was keep moving forward until they found their way home. Regardless, Junior slowly began to realize that holding a grudge and being angry towards Bowser probably wasn't making things any easier. "Well…might as well get moving again," Bowser declared.

"Wait," said Junior. Bowser stopped and turned to look back at Junior.

"What is it?" Junior hung his head low and rubbed his arm.

"Thanks….for saving me back there." Bowser looked away. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck; distracting himself in any way possible.

"Yeah well…," Bowser began. "If it hadn't been for me, you probably wouldn't have run off and gotten yourself into trouble in the first place." The pair fell silent for a moment. "Look, I'm sorry for being such a doofus before. I should've listened to what you had to say." Junior still couldn't work up the courage to face his father yet. "That was _your_ wish to make, not mine. I was wrong to yell at you about how to use it. In fact, I should've been a little more grateful since you used it to help me..."

"Yeah…" Bowser walked over to Junior and kneeled before him.

"After everything that's happened between us, I wouldn't blame you if you can't forgive me," said Bowser. Junior's eyes widened as he looked at his father and processed his words. The thought was horrifying. After being stranded in that hole for so long, Junior never wanted to be alone again. He couldn't shun his father away now; no matter what might've happened between them before. "But I still want to keep my promise to your mother. I still want to protect and care for you." The little Koopa couldn't find the words to say anything. "But that's not the only reason I came back for you."

"It's…not…?" The Koopa King shook his head.

"I need you, Junior. I can't make it home without you." Junior's eyes began to water. He rushed over to hug Bowser.

"…I need you too, Dad!" Bowser embraced his son and held him closely to comfort him. A moment later, Bowser stood up and turned around to face the road ahead.

"Then let's finish this thing together," Bowser offered. Without waiting for an immediate response, the Koopa King took a few steps; trusting his child would follow. Junior looked down at the ground and kicked the dirt a little.

"Uhh…Dad?" Bowser stopped and looked back at him.

"What's wrong, Junior?"

"…..Can you carry me again?" the little Koopa requested bashfully. Bowser chuckled.

"Heh…so now you _want_ me to, huh?" Junior nodded. Bowser sighed, but kept a smile on his face to show that his annoyance at the request wasn't serious. He crouched down and motioned with his claws for Junior to approach him.

"Alright. C'mere, kiddo." Junior walked into his father's arms and prepared to be lifted into the air. He hadn't failed to notice that it took his father three separate attempts to fully stand up. Undoubtedly, his shell was giving him back problems and making it harder to perform even the most basic of movements. Junior believed they would have to make it home soon. If Bowser laid down again, he might not be able to get up at all next time.

The pair continued to trek through a forest as the sun was beginning to set over the ridge. Bowser was starting to get worried. He hadn't seen any familiar landmarks despite traveling for so long. He still didn't have the slightest clue where they were or how far away they were from the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser tried to ignore a particular worry about whether or not they were even going in the right direction.

Regardless, the sun was setting and it was inevitably getting dark. Traveling in the dark was impractical without the ability to see where they were going, but Bowser didn't want to stop and make Junior have to endure his untreated injuries for a whole night. Bowser was confident the kid wouldn't be able to sleep a wink with a broken arm, a collection of cuts and bruises, and a large bump on his head. Not to mention how cold it was getting. Yet another problem immediately struck him.

"Dad…I'm really hungry…," said Junior.

"Yeah, I am too, pal," Bowser replied. "Don't worry. I'll find us something to eat," he assured his child even though Bowser had no faith behind such a statement at all. They were stranded in the middle of nowhere. What was there to eat besides tree bark and blades of grass? There were no bushes with berries, nor any sources of water either. But just as Bowser was about to admit defeat, he received a merciful gift from the gods. Bowser's eyes squinted when he saw something protruding out from the ground up ahead at the forest's edge. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. "No way….I don't believe it!" Bowser exclaimed. He ran up towards the sight as quickly as his legs could carry him. It was a wooden sign that read " _Scorched Rock Road ahead_."

"What is it, Dad?" Junior asked curiously.

"A stroke of luck, that's what it is!" Bowser responded cheerfully.

"Huh?" Before Junior could process what his father meant by this, he found himself bouncing and being jerked around in the Koopa King's grasp as Bowser sprinted. He voiced his complaints about the rough ride. "Daaad! Slow down! What's goin' on!?"

"Sorry, kiddo!" Bowser apologized. "But I wanna get us there as soon as possible now that I know we're so close!"

"Get us where? What are we close to?" Bowser stopped abruptly before Junior could receive an answer to his questions. He looked ahead and caught a glimpse of some kind of building in the distance. Although, it was too dark for him to tell what it was. "Are we almost home?"

"Not quite," said Bowser. "But this'll make for a good plan B!" Bowser slowed down and came to a gradual stop as he reached the structure. It was a small, beige cottage made out of some kind of smooth rock-like material with two windows and a wooden front door. There was no light shining through the windows, so it didn't appear as if anyone was home. The sound of the ocean's waves rushing up towards the shore could be heard from here as well.

"What is this place?" Junior asked.

"This is our getaway home," Bowser answered.

"Getaway home?" Junior repeated. Bowser nodded.

"That's right. This house was built by your mother and me." Junior's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yup. See, back when we were still dating, her parents didn't like me very much. So we weren't supposed to be spending any time together," Bowser explained. "But your mom knew about this secret patch of land by the ocean near Scorched Rock Road. Nobody knew about it except her and…eventually me. We spent so much time hanging out here in secret where no one would find us that when our relationship got more serious, we built this house so we'd always have a safe place we could come back to and be together." Bowser tried to turn the door knob. It was locked, as he expected.

"How do we get in?" Junior inquired when he noticed this himself. "Do you have a key?"

"I sure do," Bowser responded smugly. "Right here." He set Junior down so he could perform a trick he had up his sleeve. Bowser inserted his index claw directly into the lock. He was able to twist it within like a key and unlock the mechanism. "We made this door with a little bit of magic. Any old chump would look at it and think there's a key somewhere to get inside. But in reality, it only works with my claw." As he expected, the door was now open and the pair were free to step inside.

The air from within was immediately freezing and with no immediate light sources, Junior was hesitant to enter the pitch black darkness. The little Koopa could feel his legs trembling.

"A-are you sure it's…s-safe in there?" he asked timidly. Bowser laughed.

"Course it is, Junior! This home belongs to us. There's not gonna be anybody else living inside." Junior wasn't thoroughly convinced. Bowser kneeled down and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "If there is, I'll scare 'em outta here. Promise," he proposed with a confident smirk. Junior returned a positive look at last.

"Okay," he accepted. Gripping tightly to Bowser's hand, Junior followed him into the unfamiliar abode.


	18. Home Away from Home

The air inside the house wasn't getting any warmer the further inside Junior ventured. It didn't help that he was coughing from the dust he was occasionally kicking up from the floor with his feet. Being built by his family, Junior thought this house was supposed to feel special. But for some reason it just…didn't. The little Koopa almost felt a bit betrayed for being unaware of it for so long.

"If you and Mom built this place, how come you never told me about it?" Junior asked.

"Well to be honest, I…kinda forgot this place existed," Bowser confessed. "Remember, Junior, this was all way before you were born. When your mom and I decided to get married, I had taken up the throne with your mom as the new queen so we moved in together in the castle," Bowser explained. The duo ventured deeper into the shadowy residence. Bowser appeared to be looking for something as he talked, but Junior didn't have the slightest idea what it could be. "When we decided to settle down and have you, we stopped coming here altogether. We never had a reason to. Raising you was just that much more important to us that…come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I was here. I wanna say your mother was still with me at the time…," Bowser described.

As he stood off to the side in this desolate building, Junior was picking up on the fact that Bowser was just as much saddened about being here now as he was relieved to have rediscovered it. It was very obvious that he was uncomfortable being here without his wife and instead with his son who wasn't even aware of this place's existence until now. But Bowser was never one to directly admit to his feelings so easily, as obvious as they might've been at times.

Eventually, Bowser found what he had been searching for: a large stack of wood. He tossed it into a large crater-like structure in the center of the room. It was a fire pit. Bowser took a deep breath and tried to breathe fire in order to light the pile ablaze, but he coughed up a few pathetic sparks instead. Junior could tell that his injuries were messing with his father's powers. Eventually, Bowser got the fire started, grabbed a torch, and walked around the room as he lit candles on the walls to finally bring light to this forgotten place.

"Wait here," Bowser instructed. Junior stood alone in the room as Bowser exited. He moved closer to the fire to bask in its warmth. Bowser returned a moment later; dragging in two mattresses, blankets and pillows. "I knew we still had this stuff laying around somewhere." The Koopa King set up two beds around the fire. He motioned for Junior to take a seat when he was finished. "There. Now we don't have to sleep on the ground." Junior was remembering the excited look on Bowser's face when they found that sign near Scorched Rock Road. The little Koopa's moments alone had given him ample time to think about this.

"Dad, do you know how to get us home now?" Junior asked.

"Sure do," Bowser confirmed.

"Then…how come we have to stay here tonight?"

"Junior, now that we made it this far, I know for a fact that the castle's an entire day away from here on foot," Bowser explained. "I get that you'd probably rather sleep in your own bed tonight and believe me, I would too. But it's better if we stop here so we can at least get a good night's sleep. Besides, why sleep out there on the cold hard ground when you've got a comfy bed and a fire right here? We can head out again first thing in the morning." Junior groaned a little, but didn't say anything more as he gazed into the fire.

Bowser left the room again, but this time he exited on the opposite side, obviously journeying somewhere else. He returned again, but now he brought an ice-pack, a towel, a small bowl of water, and a box of other supplies with him. Bowser set his stuff down nearby and sat in front of his son.

"Here, let's get you cleaned and patched up before you get settled in," Bowser declared. Junior was too tired to object. He first requested Junior to hold the ice-pack up to the bump on his head. The little Koopa vaguely remembered even getting it. The injury most likely came about from him hitting his head against a rock when he fell down that hole on the mountain. "Don't press it so hard that it hurts," Bowser warned. "This'll just help the swelling go down a little bit." After a minute or so, he took back the ice-pack, and placed a medium sized bandage on Junior's head; covering the bump.

Next, Bowser dipped the towel into the bowl of water and gingerly stroked Junior's arms, legs, torso, feet, shell and face with it. He made sure to be especially careful with Junior's broken arm so as not to upset him too much. Junior squirmed and tried to resist all the rubbing, but he wasn't able to put up too much of a fight.

"Come on, kiddo. Don't fight it. You're covered in soot from that mountain," Bowser commented. "Good thing you took a bath the other day, or else you would probably stink even worse than you do right now." Junior grumbled at his father's comments. "But lucky for you, we don't have a bath tub here and you're too big to sit in the sink so no bath for you tonight, heh," Bowser declared with a small laugh.

"I could've done this myself, y'know," Junior argued. "I'm not a baby."

"I never said you were," Bowser replied calmly. "But you're hurt, so I figured I'd do it for you so you can relax. It's the least I can do after all the trouble I've put you through." He set aside the towel and bowl of water when the cleaning was done. Then, Bowser reached for the mysterious box of supplies behind him and dug around the contents inside. He pulled out a short, flat piece of wood and held it in front of Junior. "Here, put this in your mouth," Bowser instructed.

"Huh?" Junior responded, confused. "But…Dad, don't we have anything else to eat here?"

"No, don't _eat_ it," Bowser corrected. "Put it in your mouth and bite down on it as hard as you can." Junior sighed. "Trust me on this." The little Koopa took the stick, but continued to eyeball it with disgust. "Just…pretend it's a big, gooey chocolate chip cookie," Bowser proposed. "Like the ones Kammy makes that you like so much." At last, Junior followed his father's instructions and inserted the piece of wood into his mouth; chomping down on it as hard as he could with his front tooth. "Good, now hold still. This is gonna hurt a little…," Bowser warned.

Junior's eyes widened with fear as he saw Bowser firmly grip his fractured arm with both hands. The Koopa King violently jerked Junior's arm, sending an enormous surge of pain through his son's system. Tears welled in Junior's eyes as he continued to bite down on the wood with all his might; desperately fighting the pain. Eventually, he just couldn't take it anymore. Junior spit out the wood and let out an agonizing scream as he started to cry.

"There we go," Bowser concluded aloud. "All done. We're all done," he said soothingly as he calmed the little Koopa down.

"Why'd you do that!?" Junior wept.

"Sorry, kiddo. But I had to bend your arm back into place or it won't heal properly," Bowser explained. He sprayed Junior's arm with a bottle of disinfectant, and then rubbed a bitter-smelling cream on it. He picked up the wooden stick a few inches away with his other hand. "That was a trick my dad taught me when I broke _my_ arm," said Bowser.

"You did too?" Junior asked between sniffs as he gradually stopped crying.

"Uh-huh. When I was your age, I fell out of a tree I was climbing one time and broke my arm. This is how my dad helped me. If you hadn't been biting on this stick, you would've bitten me instead!" Bowser explained playfully. He unraveled a bandage, and began to repeatedly wrap it around Junior's arm, then placed it in a cloth now hanging from Junior's neck. He had created a makeshift cast for Junior's arm. "There, that ought to hold your arm in place until we can get you home," Bowser declared. "But I still want to have the doctor look at it and get a second opinion about treatment."

"How come you didn't do this the last time it was broken?"

"I didn't have the supplies," Bowser explained.

"Oh….I never knew you were a doctor," Junior commented. Bowser's eyebrows rose at this.

"Hmm? Oh…Junior, I'm not!" he corrected with a laugh. "This was just basic first aid. Your mother insisted we both learn how to do stuff like this so we could take care of you whenever you got hurt," Bowser explained. "She wanted the two of us to be pros at just about everything; from diaper-changing to first aid to helping you with your math homework, hehe. I think your grandparents just really wanted to make sure their grandson was being taken care of adequately; knowing you had a lazy, loud-mouthed oaf like me for a dad. Your mom wanted to make sure we were each able to care for you however you needed it…" Bowser trailed off as his eyes looked away. "Even if…one of us wasn't there to help the other…" Junior was listening with such fascination. The little Koopa had never heard Bowser talk so much about his mother like this before. There was so much about her that Junior didn't know or didn't remember. But as much as he loved learning about her, he could see that making his father remember her also brought up a great feeling of sadness in him. Junior had to find a way to keep the conversation going without making Bowser more depressed.

"What was that smelly stuff you rubbed on my arm?" he asked curiously.

"Just a special ointment," Bowser answered. "It's going to make your arm numb so it'll probably feel a little funny when it kicks in. But don't worry. It'll make sure your arm won't bother you when you're asleep tonight.

"Okay…," said Junior quietly. Bowser looked at him. A moment passed in silence before Bowser spoke again.

"Hey, way to take it like a champ back there, by the way," he praised genuinely. Junior looked up at him.

"Huh?"

"You know, letting me bend your arm back into place just now."

"Really?" Bowser nodded. "But…I was crying…," Junior admitted.

"Not as much as I did when I had to go through this. I was bawling like a baby!" the Koopa King described. "But you handled this like it was nothing!" Junior smiled at this praise. It felt good to hear his father actively say something positive about his actions for a change. "Now then," Bowser continued as he painfully staggered to his feet. "Why don't you sit back and relax, while I go find us something to eat, hmm?" he suggested. Junior smiled and nodded his head as Bowser helped his son climb under the covers.

"But what if I fall asleep?" Junior asked. "I don't wanna miss dinner…" Bowser chuckled.

"You won't, I promise. Go ahead and get some shut-eye, champ. I'll wake you when it's ready, okay?"

"Okay," Junior agreed sleepily. The little Koopa drifted off to sleep a moment later.

"Psst, Junior. Hey…Junior! Wake up, kiddo," said Bowser. Junior slowly opened his eyes as Bowser came into view sitting on the bed nearby. "Dinner's ready." Junior couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. He could've sworn he had just fallen asleep a minute ago and now he was already being woken up for dinner. He tried to sit up against the pillow in his bed, but his dad's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Hey! No, no no," said Bowser. "Don't get up. You need to save your strength."

"What's for dinner?" Junior asked.

"It's a special jerky and dried shroom soup. I found the recipe in an old cookbook in the closet," Bowser explained. He spoon-fed the soup to his child. Junior immediately licked his lips after the first taste. "How is it? You like it?"

"Mmm, yeah!" Junior replied, anxiously awaiting the next spoonful. Bowser smiled.

"Really? Huh, maybe I should cook more often then!" Junior realized that it _had_ been a while since he had eaten his dad's cooking. Typically, the royal chef was the one who prepared all of Junior's meals since his father was too busy being the king to do it himself. Aside from the fact that Junior was so hungry that just about any kind of food would've tasted great to him, there was something particularly special about this meal. After what Bowser had just told him about learning all sorts of special skills in order to take care of him, this cooking made such an idea seem all the more genuine and real in Junior's mind. Bowser was actually a pretty great dad when he wanted to be…

"What about you? Aren't you hungry too?" Junior asked between sips.

"Sure am. But you're my top priority," Bowser explained. "You can eat as much as you want. I'll get more for you if you need it. Don't worry about me." After two bowls of soup, Junior was just about satisfied. "Did you get enough to eat?" Bowser asked later on. Junior nodded and sunk down under the covers slightly. The Koopa King smiled and stood up. "Good. Guess I'll go fix myself a bowl now too and see if it's really as good as you say it is."

In his father's absence, Junior tried to fall asleep but…couldn't. Despite his exhaustion, Junior found it difficult to shut his eyes and truly get comfortable. He tossed, turned, and shuffled a bit in his bed, but with no success. Eventually, Junior turned his head and stared into the fire. He knew what was wrong.

Bowser returned a moment later with his own bowl of soup. He sat down on his own bed across the fire from Junior, blew on his spoon, and began to eat in silence. He hadn't even noticed that Junior was still awake until the little Koopa spoke up to him.

"Dad…?" said Junior in a raspy voice.

"Oh, hey. What's the matter, kiddo?" Bowser replied.

"I can't sleep…" Bowser's eyes widened slightly. Despite his usual composure, his paternal instincts were going into overdrive at that moment.

"What's wrong? Are you still hungry? You know, there's still some soup left. I can feed you another bowl if you-"

"No…I'm not hungry," Junior rejected. Bowser was getting flashbacks to the long nights of tending to Junior as a baby. Plenty of time had passed since those days obviously, but Bowser was still ready for them, even now.

"Is anything hurting? Are you hurting somewhere else that I didn't treat? Do you need new bandages already?"

"No, I'm okay…"

"How's your bed? Do you need your pillow fluffed? Are you warm enough? _Too_ warm? Do you need more blankets or pillows? Is your mattress lumpy? I can switch beds with you if-"

"No…" Bowser's rationality was slipping out of control with every rejection. His mind was racing, just trying to figure out what his son needed.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom? There's one straight down the hall. I-I can help you get to it!" Junior shook his head. Bowser sighed but tried his hardest to keep his composure. "What is it then, Junior? What can I do to help you?"

"I…need to talk to you," Junior explained at last. Bowser froze, then slowly took a seat as his heartbeat slowed down to normal.

"Oh…okay. Sure. What's on your mind?" Junior sat up in his bed.

"I wanted to say…I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?" Bowser asked, concerned.

"For…everything," Junior began. "For not doing what you tell me to lately; and staying up late the other night; and not taking a bath when you told me to; and yelling at you so much…," Junior rambled. "I disobeyed your orders to do all that stuff around the castle." Bowser could feel guilt washing over him as he listened. "If I had just stayed home…we wouldn't be in this mess right now." Tears welled in Junior's eyes. "You were right all along…I really _am_ a lousy son…" Bowser walked over to Junior's bed, sat down and hugged his son tightly. "I don't deserve you doing all this stuff for me…"

"Hey…now you listen to me," said Bowser. "You are _not_ a lousy son. I'm a lousy dad for ever letting you think that. You don't have to be sorry about anything. In fact, _I'm_ the one who should be saying sorry." Junior sniffed and looked up at Bowser.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. How can I blame you for not listening to me? Why would you _want_ to when all I've been doing is yelling at you and bossing you around all the time? You're my son, not my slave. You need time to have fun and to just be a kid." Bowser shifted his gaze to the fire as he spoke. "I guess I was just worried because…well, I just wanted to be a good father." He looked back at Junior. "I've wanted that all this time. Without your mother around…...I guess I just...fell apart. I was scared without her, and I didn't know what to do with you," Bowser explained. "I turned cold and ruthless and did all the bad stuff I've done because I didn't want anyone to know how scared I was. I thought I could snap you into shape if I'd never let you know I was afraid."

"Dad…"

"I've been chasing after Princess Peach for so long because…parenting is a two-man job. There are things your mother could do that I just can't. I've always thought Peach could fill the role that your mother left behind and make our family feel…you know…"

"…Not-so-broken?" Junior finished. Bowser nodded.

"I thought I was stepping up and being more responsible for you in my own way. But I guess all that's been doing is hurting you and pushing you away, huh?" Junior didn't know what to say. So he nodded his head slowly. Bowser hugged him again. "Junior, I'm sorry I hesitated to save you back on that platform. Sorrier than I've ever been about anything else I've done or will ever do. The reason I hesitated…it wasn't what you think it was. I wasn't thinking about whether or not you were worth saving," Bowser confessed. "I hesitated because I was so mad at the thought of losing Peach again that I almost chose her over you. I would've lost sight of what I've really been fighting for all this time."

"I don't need Mama Peach to be my mom," said Junior. "I don't need one. I have you. So what if Mom did some things better? That doesn't mean you can't still try…"

"I know…," Bowser agreed. "I should have tried all those times. I've been treating you like a problem all this time when you're all the family I've got left." Bowser turned back to the fire. "You know, a lot of people used to wonder how your mom was really your mother when she wasn't a Koopa and you looked nothing like her," Bowser described. "But there was one thing you inherited from her: your kindness. Even when I was selfish and ungrateful, you saved my life with that wish when I didn't deserve it. I've probably screwed you up more in these past few days than I ever did back home. I've done a lot of bad deeds in my day. But the worst thing I know I've ever done…is making you think that I don't love you."

"It's okay…," Junior replied. "I know you have to love me because you made a promise to Mom." This time tears were forming in Bowser's eyes. He could practically hear his heart breaking.

"Aww Junior…," he began "I love you because you're my _son_ , not because I promised I would. Your mother was my whole world, and her happiness meant everything to me back then," Bowser explained. "The happiest I've ever seen her was the day you were born. She loved you more than you'll ever know. And that goes double for me. When I see you, I see your mother's happiness, and my own too. That's why you're so special. _That's_ why I promised to take care of you. Because I wanted to make her happy forever, and I did it for myself too. You're pretty dang important, you know."

"To you guys?" Junior asked.

"Yeah, but not just to your mother and me. You're important to our entire kingdom. You're the Koopa Prince; the heir to the throne. Someday you're gonna be king. So it's my job to keep you happy and make sure you grow up right until then. I do it to make me happy, to make your mom happy, and to make our kingdom happy."

"Wow…I guess I _am_ pretty special then…," Junior commented.

"You bet. But it's not always just a job to make you feel special. You do that on your own just by being yourself."

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so. No matter what goes wrong or how terrible of a day I'm having, you being there with me always makes it better. I'm closer now than I've ever been before to making Peach marry me, thanks to your help." Junior blushed a little at such tremendous praise. "You're smart enough to manage your own clown car, you're brave enough to take Mario on no matter what, and you're pretty dang clever too. I certainly hadn't thought of using a power star to power up _my_ clown cannon." Junior's face lit up with the biggest smile Bowser had seen all day. That was the praise Junior had really wanted all along. His plan ultimately worked, even though things hadn't gone the way he'd expected. "Uhhh…" Bowser froze.

"What's wrong?" Junior asked.

"Nothing. It's just…I'm not used to giving mushy love talks like this so…I guess I kinda ran out of things to say just now, heh," Bowser admitted, embarrassed. Junior giggled at this. "Look, I'm sorry I've been such a pain in your shell lately. I didn't mean to yell, or to break your game system, or to scare you, or to make you question my love for you. It's been tough trying to do this on my own; really tough. But I'm doing the best I can, okay? I know sometimes it must be pretty dang hard for you to love me. But I'll _always_ love _you_ , no matter what," Bowser declared. Junior shook his head and smiled.

"It's not that hard," he replied. The two smiled and exchanged one more hug. "But, I think I can forgive you for _all_ of this on one condition," Junior proposed. Bowser was surprised by this first shred of cockiness all day. But he knew his son's mischievous side well enough to not be totally blind-sided by it.

"What's that?" Bowser asked.

"Let's make a promise right now, you and me! If the promise you made to Mom is so special, I wanna have one with you too!" Bowser smiled at his son's sudden enthusiasm.

"Alright, what did you have in mind?" Bowser asked. Junior froze.

"Uhh…," he stuttered. His mind went blank as he hadn't actually thought this far ahead yet. The Koopa King decided to help him out.

"How about this: If you promise to do the things I ask you to do, when I ask you to do them, then I promise not to yell so much, lighten up, and let you have more time and freedom to have fun," Bowser suggested. "Sound good?" Junior smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, okay!" Junior agreed.

"Alright then, let's shake on it and make it official," Bowser declared with confidence. The two grasped each other's claw firmly and shook with an equal exchange of strength. Immediately after retracting his hand, Junior yawned and laid back against his pillow.

"Feeling better now?" Bowser asked.

"Yeah," Junior confirmed as he settled into his bed.

"Good, because I don't have a watch but I'm pretty sure it's past your bed time, hehe," Bowser noted. Junior raised an eyebrow at him. "Uhhh…I mean, not that you didn't have a good reason for staying up," he confessed playfully with a smile. Bowser tucked Junior in under the blanket and gave him a good night kiss.

"Night, Dad," Junior called out.

"Good night, Junior," Bowser replied.

"I love you." Bowser smiled.

"I love you too, and I always will." Junior shut his eyes and finally fell asleep peacefully. With his son put to bed, Bowser put out what was left of the fire, laid down in his own bed, and went to sleep himself.


	19. Journey's End

Sunlight streamed through the window as a new day began. Junior sat up in his bed, stretched, and yawned. He was reminded by his surroundings that he wasn't at home, and instantly all the memories of the events that had brought him here came flooding back in. Junior winced when he felt a small jolt of pain in his arm. Feeling restless, the little Koopa pushed back his blanket and climbed out of bed.

"Hey Dad, my arm's hurting again. Do you have any more of that ointment stuff?" he asked. Across the fire pit, Bowser was fast asleep on his chest with his head turned and facing away from Junior. The little Koopa approached him. "…..Dad?" Junior repeated. Bowser didn't move an inch. In fact, he was completely still. Junior shook his father's arm more vigorously. " _Dad_!" Nothing. Bowser was completely motionless.

Junior observed his father's shell. It looked to be in even _worse_ condition than yesterday. All of the spikes had been completely burned away. What was once a bright, prominent green color was replaced with an ugly, ominous black. Even more of the green surface had been peeled away. The burn marks had been spreading and spilled over onto the pale, crusty rim of the shell. At least the shell itself had finally cooled down and was no longer emanating heat.

But Junior soon realized that the heat had simply migrated to Bowser's body instead. His forearms and head were drenched in sweat as if the Koopa King was melting. The spiked arm bands on his arms were as hot as a pan over an open fire. Yet despite being engulfed in all of this heat, Bowser was completely still. It no longer looked like Bowser was bothered by it or fighting it off, but instead…that he had surrendered to it. Junior panicked and was suddenly desperate for his father to wake up.

"Dad! Come on, Dad! Wake up! Wake up! _Please_!" Junior pleaded hysterically. Something was definitely wrong. The guilt was practically strangling Junior like a rope. _This is my fault_ …, he thought. _Dad was so worried about me that he didn't do anything for himself_. _If he gets any hotter than this_ … _he might_ …Junior could feel the tears forming in his eyes as his whole body trembled. The liquid rained down Junior's cheeks, and practically evaporated in seconds when it landed on Bowser's arm.

Junior left Bowser's side and returned seconds later with the same supplies Bowser had used to treat him the night before. They had been sitting on the floor nearby where he'd last left them. The little Koopa's mind raced as he tried to think of what to do. He placed the ice pack on Bowser's forehead. The ice had melted overnight, so it was no longer cold. Now, just a sack of room-temperature water remained. Junior dunked the towel into the bowl of water and scrubbed Bowser's skin frantically. He had to bring his father's temperature down somehow.

Frustrated, Junior ran into the kitchen to find a sink so he could get cold water. Unfortunately, the house itself was much bigger in scale than the little Koopa had anticipated. It had been built by his parents, so he should've expected that everything would be so much larger. The countertops towered over Junior, and the sink faucet was completely out of his reach. He dragged in a chair from the dining room nearby. But even with the boost, Junior still couldn't reach the faucet. Why did his arm have to be broken _now_!? If it wasn't, Junior was confident he could've climbed up onto the countertop and reached the sink that way, just as he had done so many times in the castle's kitchen at home. But here, he was useless with only one arm!

Junior hopped down from the chair and sprinted out of the kitchen. He had another idea. Returning to Bowser's side, Junior grabbed the ointment his father had used on him, twisted the cap off, and squeezed it as hard as he could with his good arm. He practically covered Bowser's arm with the slimy medicine, and scrubbed it into Bowser's scales with his hand. Junior could feel the burning from his father's hot skin, but he was too stubborn to pull his hand away. Deep down, Junior had no idea if this stuff would help cool Bowser down or not. But what choice did he have?

"Come on, Dad! Come on! You can't die on me!" Junior sobbed. "You made a promise to Mom, remember? You're supposed to protect me and take care of me! I still need you!" He continued to rub his tiny hand along his father's limp arm. His claws were covered in the ointment, but he didn't care in the slightest. "What about _our_ promise, huh!?' Junior exclaimed. "You weren't gonna yell at me anymore! I was gonna do what you said! So tell me what to do, Dad! _Please_!" Junior begged. "Tell me what to do…"

 _Help_. Junior thought. _I need to get help_. The little Koopa remembered Bowser mentioning the castle being a day away by foot. There was no way he could get there and back in time to save Bowser. But sitting around here and doing nothing wasn't going to help either. Junior rose to his feet and dashed out the front door.

"I'll be back, Dad!" Junior shouted upon his exit. "I'll come back for you!" Junior ran as fast as he could; covering as much ground in as little time as possible. The heat from the morning sun was intense. It burned the bottoms of Junior's feet, but the pain only motivated him to keep moving. He had to. He couldn't stop no matter what. He had to get help for Bowser, even if it killed him.

Junior stopped abruptly in his tracks when he saw a shadowy silhouette slowly flying in from a distance. Once the object came into view, Junior couldn't believe it.

High up in the sky was a wooden airship; a familiar one at that. In close proximity to it, Kammy Koopa flew about atop her broomstick; frantically surveying the earth below. Larry Koopa was manning a telescope as he did the same.

"Do you see anything yet?" Kammy asked.

"No…Nothing," Larry replied.

"I don't think they would've come this far downstream."

"Maybe, but…," Larry lost his thought when he caught eye of something unexpected. "There! Down there! I see something…or some _one_!" Hundreds of feet below, Larry spotted Bowser Jr. frantically hopping up and down and waving his arm madly in the air to get their attention.

"Oh my stars! Is that…?," Kammy began. "IT _IS_!" Junior breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw the ship and Kammy coming down for landing nearby. The old witch practically leaped off her broom stick as she landed and embraced the little Koopa. "Prince Junior! I don't believe it! Thank the stars you're alive!" Kammy cheered as she hugged Junior tightly. She released him instantly when he pointed out his injured arm. Larry scooped the little Koopa up in his arms from behind without receiving that message.

"Boy am I glad to see _you_ again, squirt!" Larry exclaimed. He was trying his hardest to fight back his tears, but deep down he didn't actually care who saw him cry. He was too relieved to see Junior again.

"Heh…it's good to see you too, Larry," Junior replied happily.

"Are you alright, dear? What happened? Where's your father!?" Kammy inquired frantically.

"I'm okay," said Junior. He turned back to face the way he came. "But my dad's hurt and needs help! You gotta come with me right away!" To save time, Kammy and the Koopalings gave Junior a ride on the airship as he guided them back to his family's getaway home at the end of Scorched Rock Road. Junior, Kammy, and Larry rushed through the door and into the room where the pair had slept the night before. Bowser was still unconscious right where Junior had left him.

"And you said he won't wake up?" Larry asked.

"No!" Junior answered. "I don't know what's wrong!"

"Oh dear, oh dear!" Kammy panicked. "Bowser!? Bowser! Can you hear me!?" she exclaimed. As Junior expected by now, Bowser issued no response. "This isn't good! We need to get him back to the castle immediately!"

"How are we gonna get him there?" Larry inquired. Kammy whistled with her finger. In a flash, the other 6 Koopalings barged through the door.

"Alright, everyone. We need to get Lord Bowser loaded up into the airship. Morton, Roy, lift his torso. Wendy, hold his head. Iggy and Ludwig, grab his legs; and Larry and Lemmy, his arms," Kammy instructed. "I'll use a levitation spell to provide extra support." Junior hurried over to the group and grabbed Bowser's tail to offer his support. But Kammy tapped on his shoulder.

"Dear, you're hurt. You've been through enough already. We'll take care of your father from here," Kammy declared.

"B-but I wanna help!" Before he could react, Boom Boom picked Junior up from behind and hoisted the little Koopa over his shoulder. Junior kicked his legs and begged to be put down. But his demands were in vain. Boom Boom forcefully escorted Junior out of the home and onto the airship.

* * *

Two hours later, Junior sat alone in his bedroom, staring gloomily out the window. A Magikoopa had healed his arm instantly with a basic healing spell, but that hardly made him feel any better. He was too worried about his dad. Kammy and a horde of Magikoopas and doctors had been operating on him since the airship arrived at the castle. Junior tried to stay and watch and begged for updates on his father's condition, but he was shooed away to his room to wait until it was all over.

A Koopa servant had offered him a batch of freshly baked cookies to try and cheer him up, but the little Koopa was too distraught to enjoy them. Junior did everything he could think of to pass the time. He had even taken a bath to keep himself distracted for a little while. Junior finished drying himself off and entered his bedroom. He eyeballed the pieces of his broken Switch console on the floor. Everything was right where he had left it the other day. He was sure playing Mario Kart at that moment would've helped take his mind off things, but Junior wasn't even upset about it being broken anymore. All he wanted now was for Bowser to be okay.

He had to be. This wasn't the first time Bowser had been directly exposed to lava. Kammy's magic always made him better whenever Mario dropped him into a pit of the stuff. But this time was different for some reason. Junior had never seen his father in a coma-like state as he was this morning. The thought of him never waking up again was terrifying. Junior wasn't prepared to handle the idea that last night was the last time he would ever see his dad alive. He needed him in his life. Having lost one parent already was hard enough. What would possibly happen to him if he lost both? The little Koopa's train of thought was disrupted by the sound of his bedroom door creaking open as someone entered.

"I _said_ I don't want any cookies!" Junior shouted angrily.

"...Cookies? Well shoot, I'll take 'em then," a familiar voice replied playfully. Junior shot back around. Standing in his doorway was Bowser.

"DAD!" Junior cheered as he dashed across his bedroom and tackled his father with all his might. Bowser nearly fell backwards from the sudden impact of Junior's hug. "You're okay!" He froze when he witnessed his father's drastically different appearance. Bowser's shell was completely gone and his entire torso was covered with a series of large bandages wrapped around him. He was also slightly hunched over and carrying a cane in one hand. "You… _are_ okay…aren't you?" Junior inquired with worry. Bowser smiled.

"Six cold showers, 20 ice packs, and a few healing spells later, and yeah, I'm fine! Well, I'm a bit lighter now. But other than all that…yes, I'm okay," he confirmed as he rubbed Junior's head. Junior wasted no time in asking the burning question that had been on his mind all day.

"What happened to you, Dad? How come you wouldn't wake up this morning? I got really scared…," the little Koopa explained. "I thought I'd lost you…" Tears began to form in Junior's eyes just thinking about it. Bowser caressed his child's cheek in his hand.

"Aww I'm sorry, kiddo. I didn't mean to scare you like that," said Bowser. "As it turns out, my shell got so banged up when I was coming up through the mountain that when I took my second dip in the lava, there was barely anything left to protect me. My back got burned up pretty badly and what was left of my shell was pretty much ruined from the inside out. The pain got worse and worse over time, so that's why it was getting harder for me to get up. Eventually, I was in so much pain that I just couldn't wake up at all after I went to bed last night."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Junior asked. "I could've helped you somehow…"

"You had enough to worry about yesterday already. Besides, in a way, you actually did."

"Huh?"

"When I woke up here in the castle, Kammy told me that my injuries were dangerously close to being fatal. If you guys had gotten me to the castle even a minute later, I might not be up and about and talking to you right now," Bowser explained. "But she also told me the strangest thing. She said I was covered in this sticky ointment. I was like that when she found me so she knows it wasn't anyone at the castle's doing. If I was unconscious, I wonder who could've rubbed all that ointment on me...," Bowser pondered smugly with a wink.

"You mean…," Junior started.

"That's right. You saved my life, Junior. You helped keep me alive long enough for help to arrive." Bowser hugged his son tightly to his chest. "Now that I think about it, that's gotta be what…the _sixth_ time you saved me?"

"The sixth?"

"Well, yeah. There was your lava surfing, then you fired a cannon ball at that golem, you saved my life with your wish of course, you helped me out by tossing those crystals my way, you pulled me out of the lava _again_ , and then…just today with the ointment," Bowser explained. "Son, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. You came out of all of this like a real trooper." Junior giggled and blushed a little.

"Aww, it wasn't so bad!" Junior replied. "I'm just glad you're okay! But...what're you gonna do without your shell? And how come you have that cane?"

"Don't worry about that stuff, kiddo," Bowser assured him. "We're Koopas after all. My shell will grow back good as new in a few weeks' time. The bandages are just there to help my back heal in the meantime. As for this, well the docs gave me an earful about not walking around at all until I've made a full recovery. But I'm a king, dammit! I can't rule a kingdom just lounging in my bed all day! So this'll help me get around for a little while. Once I have my shell back, I won't need it anymore," he explained.

"That's good!" Junior commented cheerfully. Bowser expressed that he had been more worried about Junior's condition, but the little Koopa explained how a Magikoopa had already tended to his injuries, and that he was doing just fine now. Bowser was incredibly relieved to hear such news.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I've got something for you," said Bowser. He motioned for a Paratroopa to enter the room, carrying a present. The servant handed it to Bowser, who passed it off to Junior. The little Koopa stared at it curiously.

"What is it?" Junior inquired. The Koopa King chuckled.

"Come on, brat! You've had seven birthdays to figure out that we're not supposed to _tell_ you what's inside a present!"

"But…it's not my birthday…"

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't do nice stuff for you throughout the rest of the year. Open it." Junior ripped open the parcel and his eyes lit up when he found a new Nintendo Switch underneath the wrapping.

"No way!" Junior exclaimed excitedly. Bowser looked over at the old, destroyed console on the floor.

"I felt bad about breaking your old one over my stupid little tantrum so I requested one of the Koopatrols to go out and get you a new one the other day before I left to kidnap the princess," he described. "They're surprisingly hard to find for some reason…" Junior raced over to his television and quickly started to set up his new console. Bowser stood by and watched him with content. He missed seeing his son so happy and was ecstatic to see this side of him back in full force once again.

Junior booted up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but stopped at the main menu. Bowser turned and prepared to exit the room when Junior called out to him.

"Hey Dad…?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you….wanna play with me?" Bowser smiled.

"Sure," Bowser accepted and took a seat next to his son. Junior handed him a Joycon controller and the two started playing. "So…which button makes me go forward?" Junior happily walked his father through the controls, and Bowser took immense satisfaction in spending some quality time with his son. Somehow he was positive he wouldn't be dreaming about Celia again tonight. He didn't need to rely on her anymore. Everything was going to be just fine now.


	20. Epilogue

It looked to be yet another fine day in the Mushroom Kingdom. The blue skies were cloudless, the sun was radiating, and the flowers in the gardens of Princess Peach's castle were in full bloom. Mario, Luigi, and Peach were enjoying a quiet afternoon of tea on the royal balcony. Luigi shrieked when he spotted something flying directly towards them from over the hills in the distance. By the time Mario and Peach responded, they were already engulfed in the airborne object's shadow.

Atop a wooden airship and towering high above the trio was Bowser, Junior, Kammy Koopa, and the seven Koopalings. A menacing confidence was plastered across the Koopa King's face. He lifted one pointed claw high up into the air, then lowered it straight down at the terrified targets below.

The attack commenced.

Kammy shot a magical blast down towards the balcony; destroying it in an instant. Mario scooped Peach up in his arms and carried her out of harm's way as he jumped up to the castle's roof. Luigi was caught up in the explosion as he fell to the ground with the broken balcony. Mario placed Peach down gently, reached into his pocket, and equipped himself with a Cape Feather. Much to the plumber's surprise however, this was completely anticipated. Larry and the others all dawned Cape Feathers of their own and swooped in for an aerial confrontation. Mario launched off the castle roof and met their challenge head on.

Despite being at a disadvantage, Mario was able to fend off the Koopalings with a series of kicks, punches and stomps. The plumber bought himself just enough time to spot something else approaching from the corner of his eye. Junior flew within range of him, mirroring his father's confident smirk. Energetically, the little Koopa jammed a power star into the console of his aircraft and began to build up power as the cannon emerged from the clown car's mouth. Mario recognized this attack and retreated back to the castle's roof to prepare. To his surprise however, the Koopalings immediately ceased their own assault instead of capitalizing on Mario's distracted state. After the machine had finished charging, it shot a star-powered cannon ball speeding directly at Mario. The plumber flung his cape over his shoulder with precise timing and reflected the projectile back with twice the velocity and power.

Unlike last time however, Junior was ready for the counterattack this time.

Pressing another button, two mechanical arms emerged from the clown car's sides with red boxing gloves on the hands. When the cannon ball drew close enough, the clown car's right fist clashed with it head-on in an ambitious punch. Despite some intense resistance, Junior's mechanism prevailed and sent the cannon ball straight back towards Mario once again with even _more_ speed.

This time, the attack was too fast for Mario to react to in time. It exploded at his feet when it made contact with the roof. The plumber was sent flying backwards in the blast. The Koopalings seized the rare opportunity as they all struck the airborne Mario simultaneously with one collaborative, calculated kick. Their combined power propelled Mario hurdling to the ground below at dizzying speed.

Luigi rushed to Mario's side and helped the plumber to his feet. The two glared up at the kingdom's attackers. Before the brothers could leap into action again, Kammy managed to grab their attention with her pointed wand and directed them to look back up at the roof. They shifted their gaze just in time to see Peach being carried away by Junior in his clown car.

Mario jumped and climbed up to the roof as quickly as he could. But he wasn't fast enough. He stood by and watched as Peach was whisked away back up to the airship and dropped to Bowser's side. The malicious confidence burning in Bowser's eyes was unmistakable. Junior hopped out of his clown car and landed at his father's other side as the Koopalings boarded the airship and prepared for departure with their target in tow.

The Mario bros and Koopas collaboratively glared at each other until the airship carried the latter out of view. Mario couldn't express it in words, but he felt absolutely dumbfounded at that moment. He never expected his greatest adversary to coordinate such a perfect attack like that. It was unlike anything his evil schemes had ever entailed before. He may not have known where exactly Bowser and Junior went after his previous battle with them, but something had certainly happened to them since then. They had changed. To his, and perhaps the entire Mushroom Kingdom's great dismay….their bond had definitely grown stronger somehow.

Still, this didn't change a thing. The princess was kidnapped once again. Just like always, it was up to Mario and Luigi to rescue her from Bowser's evil clutches. With a silent exchange, the two set off for yet another adventure. Mario did his best not to show it, but he was trembling with excitement. Deep down, he couldn't wait to see what other tricks the new Bowser and Bowser Jr. had waiting for him. Surely, this was going to get a lot more interesting.

When the airship was far enough away from Peach's castle, the Koopalings and Kammy dispersed across the carrier to relax and enjoy the flight home. At his request, Bowser lifted Junior up and placed him onto his shell above his shoulders so they could watch over the land below together. Their smiles were contagious. This plan had gone smoother than any other one before it. They might very well win this time. The Koopa King couldn't wait for Mario to show up so he could put the rest of his surprises to the test.

Peach had been waiting until just the right moment. When the guard who failed to lock her prison cell finally passed, she snuck her way up to the deck and spotted Bowser and Junior. At first, she tried to approach them stealthily. But she quickly abandoned this tactic when she couldn't control the distinct sound of high heels making contact with wooden stairs. The princess picked up the pace into a more confident stride so that by the time Bowser and Junior turned to see her approaching, they would freeze in their places at her coming towards them so courageously. They waited to see what she did next.

Peach scooped Junior up in her arms and hugged him tightly. The little Koopa struggled a bit initially, but relaxed when he realized that she meant no real harm. Then, Peach stood up on her toes and kissed Bowser on the cheek. He blushed and read her smile.

"Welcome back," said Peach happily. Bowser grinned; plenty of fire still burning in his retinas.

"Good to be back."

The End

* * *

 **Author's (Final) Note:**

 _Thank you so much for reading my story! The amount of praise and attention it has gotten these past few weeks was more than I ever could have anticipated and I couldn't be more grateful to you all! Bowser and Bowser Jr. are two of my favorite Mario characters and I've always wanted to write a story exploring their bond as father and child. I would love to see Nintendo do more with them in the games!_

 _I ended up adding a lot more to this story than I originally planned because people were enjoying it so much and wanted to see more. It was a lot of fun to write and I'm very proud of how it ultimately concluded. Looking back, I did leave one loose end intentionally untied (I wonder if anyone can spot what it is). Maybe I'll explore that a bit further in a sequel story someday…...We'll see! For now, I hope you enjoyed "The Promise" and I just have to say it again…_

 ** _THANK YOU!_**


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